Preyed (Hunted Book Two)
by ricen444
Summary: This is the story of my life; the life I have after everything changed...after I changed. Maybe if I had done something differently everything wouldn't have gone up in flames. Maybe if I had fought harder, I could have saved everyone...Maybe thinking I could fight him was my first mistake.
1. Chapter One

{Chapter One}

Waking up is not what is used to be. What was once a beautiful moment into a new day is now a dark reminder that I am still a monster. There used to be a brief moment where I felt whole again, but those moments ended a long time ago. My lids are leaden with sleep and I briefly close my eyes before snapping them violently back open. My body is sticky with sweat as I try to shake off the desire to sleep. With sleep comes nightmares and with nightmares comes Asher. He's in my head while I sleep like the tide relentlessly beating against a pier. His every thought, motive, and desire echoes in my head. I don't sleep, I can't otherwise people will die. People that I care about, innocent people, people minding their own business, everyone…and I can't let that happen. My door opens and in walks one of my favorite people, or should I say vampires. Emmett Cullen, the brother I never had. He takes one look at me and sighs. Emmett is one of two people that know about the nightmares.

"Did you sleep at all?"

I shake my head. He's silent and I know the next question he is going to ask before he asks it.

"I didn't do that either."

He groans, "you have to eat."

"No."

"Mia…"

"No, Emmett."

"It will help," he says.

"No."

"But, it will…"

"I said no."

"For fuck's sake, Mia! You're wasting away! You don't eat, you don't sleep. You told Carlisle you wanted help, you wanted to know how to live as one of us. Well, he can't help you if you won't even help yourself. Why the hell are you here if you're just going to let yourself die?" Emmett yells.

"You think I don't know that? You think I don't know that I'm wasting away? I know! But I don't have another choice."

"That's bull, Mia. You have a choice, you can choose to waste away here, or you can go out there and live," Emmett says.

"I can't."

"Yes, you can."

"You don't understand I can't…"

Emmett cuts me off and goes into a rant about how I can if I choose to and how everything I'm doing is a choice. As he yells, the emotions I've fought so hard to keep in check come raging forward and I catch the end of his rant.

"…what are you so afraid of?"

"Everything!" I yell.

Emmett freezes, and I finally stand up.

"Mia…"

"You don't…You don't know what it's like to have your every thought plagued by the memory of ripping the people you care about apart. You don't know what it's like to constantly have a voice in your head tell you that you're a monster. You don't know what it's like to hear him. You don't…"

Suddenly the rage that was fueling me dissolves. I sink to my knees as the strength leaves my legs. Pain swirls inside me like ice water circling a cold metal drain. It's the kind of pain that comes when a person's child is dead, or the love of their life is ripped away. I try to stifle my sobs at first, in some vain attempt to show Emmett that I'm still strong. Soon though, I am overcome with a wave of emotions and I break down entirely. It feels impossible to breathe as each new sob that racks my body is soon followed by another one. I don't know how long I sit there before I feel Emmett wrap his arms around me. He doesn't say anything, he doesn't try to comfort me with soft words of kindness. He lets me break, maybe he knows that this is what I need. That this is what I've been keeping in the entire time. I'm not sure how long Emmett and I sit there before I finally give in to the sweet sleep that I've been fighting for so long.

 **Author's Note: Guys! I'm so excited! It's finally here, it's done. The sequel is finished! I'm so excited for you guys to read this one. I hope you guys like it and feel free to leave a review letting me know what you think. Happy reading! -Jess**


	2. Chapter Two

I wake up covered in sweat with my heart pounding in my ears. I glance over at the clock on my nightstand and watch as an angry, red five flashes at me. I've been asleep for twenty-one hours. I throw the covers off my body. I stumble my face in the mirror and soon focus in on the water drops sliding down my skin. Flashes of my nightmare rise to the surface of my mind and I quickly grab a towel and dry my face to shake it off. I am emerging out of the bathroom when Emmett walks in.

"You okay?"

"Yeah."

Emmett studies me for a minute before coming closer. He pulls me into a hug.

"You would tell me if you weren't, right?" he says.

"I'm fine, Emmett. Just another nightmare."

He pulls away and looks at my face before smiling.

"You look at lot better. Much more normal hybrid girl than walking dead creature from the abyss."

"Walking dead creature from the abyss?"

"I'm just calling it as I saw it."

I walk over to my bed and grab a pillow to throw at him. He catches it with ease and chucks it back at me.

"why are you in here, loser?"

"Because my little bundle of joy, we are going grizzly hunting."

"It is entirely too early to hunt an irritable bear," I say.

"That's what makes it fun."

"Our definitions of fun are clearly different. Now, leave so I can do something other than hunt a very large, very angry bear."

"Come on, Mia. Where's your sense of adventure?" he asks.

"My sense of adventure went and hid under a rock at the word grizzly."

"It's not that bad," Emmett says.

"Says the guy who can easily take down at a two-ton elephant. I, on, the other hand, am suffering from sleep deprivation and have recently suffered a mental break."

"Two things there. One, you are no longer sleep deprived. You slept for twenty-one hours. Two, your mental break was from sleep deprivation."

"Either way my answer is still no."

"Come on! Edward and Jasper won't go and the girls say it's too messy for them. Please, Mia! I promise you I will never beg you for anything else ever again."

I shake my head and sigh, "one grizzly and that's it."

"Yes! Let's go hunt us some angry bear!"

Emmett walks out of my room and I laugh before quickly changing clothes. I slip on my sneakers and follow Emmett out the door and into the sun.


	3. Chapter Three

{Chapter Three}

I wait outside the cave while Emmett goes in to look at the bear.

"You know he's not that bad when he's asleep. He reminds me a little of Winnie the Pooh," he says.

"Do not compare that three-hundred-pound beast of anger and pain to the chubby, little, buddy all stuff with fluff," I say.

"Well, he's not as cute. But, I can see the resemblance."

I shake my head in disbelief, "only you would see a three-hundred-pound bear as cute."

I stretch my muscles out and psych myself up.

"Alright, let's do this!" I say.

 **A Few Minutes Later...**

"Just pull it out!" I yell.

"Okay, no need to yell. On the count of three," Emmett says.

Emmett is going to attempt to pull out the bear claw that is lodged in my shoulder blade.

"One...two..."

"Wait!"

"What?" he asks.

"Maybe we should call Carlisle," I say.

"No way, I can get this out without him."

Edward emerges from the trees laughing.

"Grizzly hunting."

"Yes, and it's not funny. It's flipping painful," I say.

"It's only painful because you did it wrong."

"Well, excuse me for not knowing the proper way to hunt something that has at least two hundred pounds on me."

Emmett yanks the bear claw and it comes out, but not without a lot of cursing and yelling on my part.

"Holy mother..."

"Language," Edward says.

Emmett smiles, "told you I could get it out without Carlisle."

I shoot him the bird and he laughs as I roll my shoulder. I'm about to ask if I should put a bandage on it when I feel them. Edward is as still as I am, and I know he hears their thoughts. We lock eyes as Emmett looks between us.

"What's going on?" he asks.

"They're coming," Edward says.

Emmett doesn't need to be told twice before he pushes me behind him. I can make out the dark shadows in the trees before Sam and Jacob emerge.

"We just want to talk," Jacob says.

"Then talk," Emmett says.

"The Elders want Mia to answer her crimes against the pack," Sam says.

Edward shakes his head, "they can't have her."

"She almost killed..."

"She couldn't control it, you know it as much as we do," Emmett says.

"You misunderstand me bloodsucker. I am not here to ask your permission. I am here to inform you that one way or another Mia Wolfe is coming with us," Sam says.

"Sam, just wait a..."Jacob starts.

"No, Jacob! It is time for the bloodsuckers to learn that their place is not in pack business."

He turns back towards Edward, Emmett, and I.

"Either hand her over or we will take her."

Emmett cracks his knuckles and steps towards Sam, "you can try."

Sam lets out a growl but before he can get any closer, a sandy colored wolf burst forth from the trees. His teeth are on full display and he stands between me and the rest of the pack. Seth growls and snaps at Jacob as he tries to take a step closer to me. Jacob holds his hand up in surrender and takes a step back.

"The Elders just want to talk her, Seth. I promise I won't let anything happen to her," Jacob says.

"And we told you that if you want her, you have to go through us," Emmett says.

"It doesn't have to be this way," Jacob says.

"Enough of this! Seth, stand down or I will take you down. Jacob, get out of the way. We tried doing it your way, now we do it mine," Sam says.

He gestures toward the trees and the rest of the wolves walk forward. He locks eyes with me and I feel my heart pound in my chest. The man I once called friend is gone, all that is in front of me is a man that sees me as an enemy, his enemy.

"Take her," he says.

There is a stillness in the air as if each side is waiting for the other to react. Sam's face is unreadable, and I hesitantly take a step back. With that one little step, all hell breaks loose. Edward yells at me to run and I take off into the trees. Distance is all that matters as I get further and further from the fighting. I have to get back to the house and warn Carlisle. Maybe he can stop this before someone gets seriously hurt because of me. A sudden bolt of pain jolts through my body and drops me to my knees. I slam into a tree, unable to slow myself down fast enough. As I try to get up, bright colorful spots flash before my eyes. That's when I hear it. At first, the voice is filled with rage, powerful and deadly, it is like an avalanche roaring down a mountain. I can feel it swirling in my veins like the calm before the storm. I bite my lip so hard that I draw blood as I try to focus on breathing and stopping him from invading my very thoughts.

"Get out of my head!"

I hear the sound of laughter before a voice answers.

"I'm not in your head, sweet."

My eyes lock onto the figure standing a few feet away from me. He moves towards me and my muscles freeze in place. I want to run and put as much distance between the two of us as supernaturally possible, but my body won't let me. My brain isn't working at the speed it's supposed to. As soon as I can make out his face though, adrenaline floods my system. In that frozen second between fight or flight, my emotions make a decision. I explode with anger as my primal instinct takes over. Burning rage hisses through my veins, demanding a release. It's like a volcano erupting and it engulfs everything around me. The blows I rain down would be enough to kill a normal man, but Asher is no normal man. He is a monster made real, an abomination among men. I don't just want him dead, I want him obliterated with nothing left to burn. My breath is forcibly expelled from my lungs as I am tossed into the nearest tree, shattering it to pieces.

" _Enough._ I don't have time for your temper tantrum. I came to remind you who you belong too."

I spit the blood that has flooded my tongue out and shakily get to my feet. He is in front of me before I can blink. His thumb runs over the cut on my lip, collecting the drops of blood there. He brings his thumb to his lips before taking a deep breath. It is as if he is trying to control himself. His eyes flash at me and he clicks his tongue.

"I don't enjoy hurting you, but you have left me no choice."

"Get away from me," I growl.

He laughs and it sets me on edge.

"Mia, Mia, Mia. You forget one important fact...I own you!"

His hand plunges deep into my chest and I let out a bloodcurdling scream as he squeezes my heart.

"Everything you are, everything you will be, belongs to me. You are _mine."_

At the last word, he squeezes my heart so hard that I'm sure it will burst in his hand. Then as suddenly as he grabbed it, he lets it go. I fall to my knees, my breath coming out in rapid bursts. His head is tilted to the side as if he is listening for something. Pressing a kiss to my forehead, he disappears into the wind, but not before whispering one last word.

 _"Mine."_


	4. Chapter Four

{Chapter Four}

I struggle back to my feet, one hand resting over my heart. I can see the house looming in the distance. Dark shadows begin to blur my vision as I put on a burst of speed before crashing into the open glass doors. I fight to stay conscious long enough to get to Carlisle. All my strength leaves my body as I step into his office. Before I can hit the floor, Carlisle is there sitting me on the couch. I try to stand again but Carlisle keeps a hand on my shoulder.  
"Take it easy. What's going on?" he asks  
"Wolves...attack...woods...," I force out.  
Carlise stands up and Esme appears in the doorway.  
"What's going on?" she asks.  
"It seems as if the wolves wish for Mia to answer for the attack," Carlisle says.  
"Surely they know that it was not something she could control."  
Carlise shakes his head, "I'm afraid that doesn't matter to them. She attacked the pack and therefore is a threat to the reservation. One that they believe must be dealt with."  
"So, what are you going to do?" Esme asks.  
"I'm going to take Rosalie and Alice and try to talk them down. I also think it would be best if we gave Gabriel a call. Having him on our side of things won't hurt."  
Esme nods before pulling out a phone and leaving the room.  
"Jasper!" Carlisle calls.  
Jasper appears in the doorway a second later. As he approaches, the tension around me loosens up and I feel calmer.  
"Yes, Carlisle."  
"I need you to stay here with Mia. The wolves are out there and from the sounds of it, they will do whatever it takes to get to her. I don't know if they have someone waiting for us to leave the house to make their next move, but I will not take the risk."  
"Carlisle, I want to help," I protest.  
I try to get to my feet but my legs give out from under me and Jasper has to catch me.  
"I know, but right now it is too dangerous. I promised Gabriel that you would be safe in my care and I have every intention of keeping that promise."  
"But..."  
"Please, Mia."  
I sigh and nod. Carlisle manages a small smile before silently taking off into the forest with Alice and Rosalie close behind. Jasper follows them out the door, stopping when he reaches the front steps. Somehow, I summon the strength to follow him out.  
"Can you feel anything?" I ask.  
"Anger, mostly. There's a mix of other emotions too, but I can't make them out."  
I groan and shake my head, "this isn't right. I should be out there. I'm the one they want."  
"Your presence would only make things harder. Carlisle is protecting you and they know it. It's one thing to go against Edward and Emmett, it's another to go against Carlisle. They think he is the leader and he's protecting you. So, an attack on you is an attack on Carlisle and no matter how angry they are, they won't risk that."  
"Why not?"  
"If they attack you then the assumption is that we will fight to get you back which means vampires crossing the treaty line. They may want you, but they won't risk the rest of the reservation just to get you," Jasper says.  
"So..."  
"So, you have nothing to worry about. You've forgotten that we've dealt with the wolves before. Carlisle..."  
Jasper freezes, his head cocked to the side and his eyes scanning the tree line.  
"Get inside."  
His body is tense, ready to spring into action at any second.  
"What? Why?"  
He doesn't say anything as he moves to stand in front of me. His eyes never leave the tree line as he slowly walks me back into the house.  
"No matter what happens, stay inside."  
"Jasp..."  
"Stay here."  
He walks back outside before closing the door and nodding at me to lock it. Against my better judgment, I turn the lock. Taking a step back, I wait for something to happen. For anything to happen. In a blur of motion so fast that I barely see it, Jasper has a sandy colored wolf pinned to the ground. The wolf struggles to break free as it locks eyes with me. I gasp before unlocking the door and pulling it open.  
"Jasper! Jasper, stop!"  
"Mia, get back inside!"  
"No, he's not dangerous. He's...It's Seth!"  
Jasper looks down at the wolf and then back at me.  
"Are you sure?" he asks.  
I nod and Jasper releases his grip on the wolf. The wolf disappears into the trees for a second before returning as Seth. The stubble across his lower jaw makes it look like he hasn't gone home in days and maybe he hasn't. He looks the same as I remember though and we take a minute to take each other in. He moves as if he is going to take a step towards me but stops himself. He runs a hand through his hair like he has to give his hands something to do other than reach out for me. He looks me over one last time before a growl leaves his lips. Suddenly, I am in his embrace and his lips are on mine. The world falls away as he kisses me. His kiss is slow and soft like he is trying to say all the things he never got to say. His hand rests below my ear, his thumb caressing my cheek. He pulls away, his brown eye bright with love.  
"You have no idea how much I've missed you," he whispers.  
He inhales, drinking in the smell of my coconut shampoo.  
"How much I've missed your smile, your laugh, your smell, your...your everything. I am never letting you go again," he says, pressing a kiss to my forehead.  
I look up at him, unable to stop the tears from sliding down my face. He brushes a thumb over my cheek to wipe them away.  
"Hey, none of that."  
"Seth, I'm...I...I..."  
Reality crashes into me and I take a step away from him.  
"I can't. We can't...I almost killed you and you want to act like everything is okay. This can't happen. We can't happen. What if I hurt you again? I'm not strong enough for that. Getting over you is one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. I can't risk hurting you again, not after what happened the first time."  
It feels like we spend an eternity in silence before Seth takes a step towards me. He wraps his arms around me.  
"I'm not giving up on us, Mia. I know you need time to come to terms with what happened, so I'm willing to wait. I'm in love with you. There is no one else out there for me. You're my forever, my one and only. So, take as much time as you need because...gorgeous, I have every intention of spending the rest of my life with you. I know you're scared that you will hurt me again, but that's a risk I'm willing to take if it means I get to be with you. I know that may sound selfish, but I don't care. I will be as selfish as I want when it comes to you because we belong together. This is it, Mia. You and me. That's' the end game and I promise you I will wait as long as it takes."  
I wipe the tears from my eyes and sniffle.  
"We can go as fast or as slow as you want."  
"I nod and pull Seth down for another kiss. The smile that breaks out over his face is one of the biggest I've seen in a while.  
"I love you," he says.  
"I know."  
He pulls away, pressing another kiss to my forehead and tossing an arm over my shoulder before turning towards Jasper.  
"So, you guys got any food in that massive house of yours?"  
Jasper manages a small smile while I laugh and lead Seth inside to the kitchen.


	5. Chapter Five

{Chapter Five}

When Seth asked for food, I had no idea that he meant half the kitchen. Jasper and I watch in awe as he devours his sixth plate of eggs.  
"Where do you store it all?" Jasper asks.  
"I have a high metabolism. It comes with being a wolf," Seth says with a shrug.  
"You would think that I would be used to seeing you eat so much food, but this is still astonishing," I say.  
Seth shoots me a smile, "what can I say? I like food."  
I shake my head at him before looking out the window.  
"Shouldn't we have heard something by now?" I ask.  
"It's been five hours since Carlisle and the others had gone to confront the wolves. Five hours and we haven't heard anything from anyone. The only information we got was from Seth and he couldn't tell us much. Jasper looks out the window, frowning.  
"Perhaps they are working it out," he says.  
Seth scoffs before pushing his now empty plate away.  
"The Elders are a lot of things, but patient isn't one of them. If they told Sam that they want Mia, then they want Mia, then they expect him to bring her to them."  
"What will happen if Sam goes back to the reservation without me?" I ask.  
Seth shrugs, "I have no idea. No alpha has never really gone against the Elders' orders before. Whatever the punishment is, I can tell you that it isn't good."  
Jasper and I lock eyes across the table, exchanging a silent look. We both know what the other is thinking and Jasper is the one to voice the question.  
"So, what happens now that you have presumably gone against your pack and by association your Elders?" he asks.  
"Seth's gaze turns to the table in front of him.  
"Seth, what happens to you?" I ask.  
"It doesn't matter."  
"Seth..."  
"Mia, it doesn't matter."  
"What happens to a wolf that isn't an alpha that goes against the pack and the Elders?"  
Seth sighs before running his hand through his hair and looking over at me.  
"This doesn't change anything. I would do it again in a heartbeat."  
"Seth..."  
He sighs again, "I...I end up like Asher."  
"What? Crazy psycho stalker?" Jasper asks.  
Seth shakes his head, "No. I mean I get excommunicated from the pack. I get marked as a rouge and I'm never allowed to step foot on the reservation again."  
I stand up in disbelief, "No. Seth, you have to go back. You have to tell them that you were trying to convince me to come back with you. You have to..."  
Seth stands up, his hands immediately coming up to cup my face.  
"I'm not going back, Mia."  
"But your family..."  
"I'm not going back. I love you and I'm not just going to stand by and let them hurt you. Even if it means I have to give up everything."  
"But Seth..."  
He places a gentle kiss on my lips before pulling me into his embrace.  
"I don't care what I lose as long as it's not you."  
I squeeze Seth tightly, holding back my tears. Because of me, he is willing to lose everything. He's willing to turn against his pack and his family for me. It kills me to even think that because of me he may never see his sister or his mom again. They already lost a father and a husband, can I stand to be the reason she loses her son? I pull away from Seth and this last thought and he smiles at me.  
"I've got to get back out there and see what's going on," he says.  
I nod and he presses a kiss to my forehead before walking over to Jasper. Jasper tenses up, unsure of what Seth is going to do. His shoulders relax as Seth sticks out his hand.  
"Thank you for keeping her safe," Seth says.  
Jasper grasps Seth's hand and gives it a firm shake.  
"Anytime."  
Seth shoots me one last smile before taking off into the woods. I watch from the window before heading out behind him.  
"What do you feel?" I ask Jasper.  
"Anger. It's not as strong but it's still there."  
I nod and Jasper and I resume our spots on the porch, waiting for our family to come home.


	6. Chapter Six

{Chapter Six}

Within seconds of realizing I'm unconscious, I am up on my feet. My every thought is in high definition as I take a second to gather my senses. Stumbling my way to the bathroom, I splash cool water on my face. Staring at myself in the mirror, I try to remember what happened when I was last conscious...Carlisle and the others hadn't come home. Jasper was pacing the length of the living room, worried that something had gone wrong. I guess at some point I must have passed out and Jasper brought me upstairs. I dry my face off and toss the towel into the laundry basket before flopping back down on my bed. A loud knock interrupts my thoughts as my door burst open. Emmett stands in the doorway with a giant smile on his face.  
"I knocked this time," he says.  
"It defeats the purpose if you're just going to open the door anyway," I say.  
He shrugs, "at least I knocked. Anyway, it's not like you were doing something important."  
"I could have been and that's not the point, the point is..."  
Then it kicks in that I'm talking to Emmett. I fly across the room and tackle him into a hug. He laughs before hugging me back. After a few seconds, he pretends to cough as if he can't breathe.  
"Can't breathe," he gasps.  
I look up at him with one eyebrow raised.  
"You don't breathe. You're kind of undead."  
"That is beside the point. If I could breathe, I wouldn't be able to."  
"Whatever," I laugh.  
I sit down on my bed, "so, what happened? Is everyone okay? Is the pack okay? Do they still want to kill me?"  
Emmett holds up his hand, "one question at a time, Wolfe. Carlisle will explain everything once we're downstairs and you have stopped your boyfriend from eating us out of house and home."  
"My...Seth came back?" I ask.  
"Yeah, guy refuses to go home. Said that he wasn't sure he could go home even if he wanted to."  
I run my fingers through my long hair and sigh. This is all because of me. Seth can't go home because of me, the Cullens are risking their lives and their treaty because of me.  
"Hey, you okay?" Emmett asks.  
"I don't even know what okay is anymore. The people who were once like family to me now want me dead, Seth may never get to go home again, you guys are risking your life for me."  
"We aren't risking our lives, we're saving yours. Everyone downstairs knows exactly what they're risking. We don't care as long as it means you're safe."  
"I know, but..."  
Emmett pulls me into a hug.  
"You're a part of our family now, Wolfe. Carlisle hasn't spent his entire existence fighting off rouge vampires and the Volturi to let some bent out of shape wolves tear apart his family."  
"The Volturi?" I ask.  
Emmett shakes his head and chuckles, "I forgot that you don't know Carlisle's story."  
"He has a story other than he got bit and turned."  
"Yeah. I'm actually surprised that he hasn't told you yet, especially since you guys share a similar struggle to accept who you are."  
"Carlisle Cullen struggled with the fact that he's a vampire?" I ask, one eyebrow raised in disbelief.  
"Yeah, he did but..."  
Emmett pauses and nods towards the door.  
"Come on."  
"Where are we going?" I ask, following him out.  
"To ask Carlisle to tell you his story. I would tell you, but Carlisle just tells it better."

I follow Emmett downstairs to Carlisle's office and wait to be told to enter. Carlisle looks up as Emmett and I walk into the room.

"Mia, Emmett I was just getting ready to call a family meeting."

"We know, but Mia here wanted to know if you would tell her your story. I would tell her, but it has always sounded better coming from you."

Carlisle nods and stands up before walking to a painting hanging on the wall. The painting looks like it is a picture of 17th century London. Carlisle clears his throat.  
"I was born in London, sometimes in the 1640s. 17th-century people didn't keep accurate records of time, especially not for those that were of common background. My mother died during childbirth and my father lived his life as an Anglican pastor. He along with several other pastors hunted the supernatural. Their claim was that they were ridding the world of evil and sin, yet their actions often left innocent civilians as the prey of their hunts. Once my father got too old to leave the raids, I took his place. I soon discovered a vampire coven deep within the sewers of London. It was there that I was attacked by an old vampire that was starved. It was in that sewer that I was left for dead.  
"Did the others come back for you? Did your father find you?"  
"No, but I know that if he did then he would kill me. So, I hid in a nearby potato cellar for three days and waited for the transformation to end. When I finally emerged, I was horrified by what I had become. It led me to attempt to end my own life in many different ways, none of them a success. Eventually, my bloodlust drove me and while hiding in a cave I attacked a herd of deer. I then learned that I could sustain myself on animal blood and I found hope in the fact that I would not have to harm any humans. Over the course of two centuries, I perfected my ability to resist my bloodlust for humans. I spent the next several centuries studying and became a 'patron of the arts."  
"So, you spent centuries alone? You had to deal with the fact that you were a vampire by yourself?" I ask.  
Carlisle smiles at me, "it's not as bad as it seemed. I did soon meet another vampire by the name of Alistar. Alistar, however, wasn't the type to enjoy company so we soon parted on old terms. After that my studies soon brought me to Italy, where I stumbled across the Volturi."  
He leads me to another picture, this one with three shockingly pale people. Each one is different, but they all give off a creepy aura.  
"The Volturi?" I ask.  
Carlisle nods, "Aro, Marcus, and Caius. They were much more educated and refined than the vampires I was used to. I soon found myself living amongst them, trying to convince them to switch from their human blood diet to one of animal blood. br /I spent nearly two decades arguing with them about it before I left to come to the new world."  
"He leads me to another picture, this one with the entire family in it.  
"Then you meet everyone and become a kickass family?" I ask.  
Carlisle and Emmett laugh, "not exactly. I longed for companionship, but I refused to curse someone else with the same life that I had to live. However, in 1918 that changed. I worked night shifts in a Chicago hospital during Spanish influenza. It was here that I first encountered Edward."  
I hold up a hand to halt his progress in the story.  
"Wait a minute. Are you saying that Edward is one hundred and seventeen years old?"  
I look back and forth between Emmett and Carlisle. Emmett nods his head and I blow out a breath.  
"Whoa. So, what made you turn Edward?"  
"Edward's mother. She and Edward were sick with the Spanish flu and she knew what I was. She begged me to do whatever I had to do in order to save her son. I wrestled with the decision for hours, could I condemn someone else to the hell I was living? Only out of loneliness and my own selfish needs did I turn him. Edward and I spent many years together, just the two of us. We told everyone that he was the younger brother of my late wife. Eventually, Edward and I settled in Wisconsin. It was here that I was called to the bedside of a young woman who had attempted suicide due to the miscarriage of her child. I changed her to save her life or at least that is what I told myself. We soon fell in love and married shortly after."  
"Esme."  
"Carlisle nods, "Rosalie joined us after I found her half dead. Alice and Jasper came to us from a vision she had, and Emmett joined us after Rosalie found him mauled by a bear."  
I look over at Emmett.  
"No wonder you always want to hunt bears. It's not because you're hungry, it's just a revenge plot on the bear that mauled you half to death."  
Emmett holds ups his hands, "guilty as charged."  
I shake my head as Carlisle laughs and gestures to the picture of the family.  
"We will have to update it soon with you and Bella joining our family."  
I can feel the heat rushing to my cheeks.  
"You don't have to..."  
Carlisle holds up at his hand to stop me, "you're family now. It cannot be a family picture if the whole family is not in it. Now, shall we head to the living room to discuss what happened with the pack? I believe your father should be here by now."

I follow Emmet and Carlisle out of his office and into the living room.

 **Author's Note: Sorry guys for the long update wait. For some reason whenever I type or copy the story into the little text box in doc manager it puts it all into html mode. So I have to manually delete all the code for it and stuff. Anyway, hope you guys are enjoying the story so far! Happy reading-Jess**


	7. Chapter Seven

{Chapter Seven}

There is nothing like watching Emmett, Jasper, and Edward's faces go from steely to admiration as Gabriel gets off his motorcycle. Shaking my head, I cough loudly as they all turn to look at me.  
"You guys are drooling."  
"Rosalie and Alice laugh and Edward shoots me a look.  
"We are not drooling," Emmett says.  
"Yeah. We are just admiring a glorious piece of machinery," Jasper says.  
"Yes, he is a glorious piece of machinery," Rosalie says.  
"Her eyes run up and down Gabriel's body and Alice nods in agreement.  
"That he is, sister. That he is."  
Rosalie sighs, "if he wasn't a wolf..."  
Emmett growls, "don't even finish that sentence."  
Rosalie laughs and shakes her head before going to kiss Emmett on the cheek. Gabriel walks up the front steps and shakes Carlisle's hand before placing a kiss on Esme's cheek.  
"Gabriel, this is the rest of my family. Edward, Jasper, Alice, Rosalie, and Emmett."  
Gabriel shakes hands with the boys and kisses Alice and Rosalie on the cheek. Turning to face me, his eyes light up in relief.  
"I never thought I would see the day where you used some manners," I laugh.  
The relief changes into amusement as he pulls me into a hug.  
"Just cause you haven't seen them doesn't mean they aren't there," he laughs.  
He pulls away, his hands still on my shoulders, "how are you feeling little wolf?"  
"I've been better."  
He nods in understanding and Esme gestures towards the living room.  
"Please, let's all have a seat while I go make some refreshments. Mr. Wolfe, can I offer you anything?"  
"Gabriel is just fine and coffee if it's not too much trouble, doll."  
Esme nods before heading to the kitchen while we all take our seats.  
"So, how bad was it?" I ask.  
Gabriel sighs before running his hand over the stubble growing on his chin.  
"You all know that doctor and I were able to talk the pack down from attacking. That being said, though... things aren't good right now. The Elders think that Mia should face punishment for what she did. That punishment was death or excommunication depending on whether or not you came quietly. However, I've managed to convince them that it was an accident and that the only reason you attacked the pack was because of the Asher situation they didn't handle years ago."  
"The Elders know about Asher?"  
Esme comes back with refreshments and hands Gabriel his coffee, he nods his head in thanks before taking a sip.  
"The Elders have always known about Asher. They knew about him when he first broke away from the pack. The banished him from the reservation and assumed that he wouldn't be brave enough to come back. I guess they didn't count on his crazy outweighing the discipline."  
"So..."  
"So, they have agreed to let you live and will not banish you on one condition."  
"And what condition is that?" Edward asks.  
"She has to come back to the reserve and be on 24/7 watch. They want her where they can keep an eye on her. She'll be under the watchful eye of Sam Uley and crew."  
"No deal," Emmett says.  
"Emmett..." Rosalie starts.  
"No. You all know as well as I do that the pack wants her dead. They're pissed that she attacked them. Are we really going to let them be the ones to watch over her? Plus, she's still practically a baby vamp," Emmett says.  
"Emmett is right. Mia is still at a vulnerable stage of her vampiredom. Is there no other way?" Carlise asks.  
Gabriel puts his coffee cup down on the table and leans forward.  
"Look, I don't like it more than any of you but those are the terms for letting Mia live. If the choices are house arrest or my daughter's life, I'm going to choose house arrest. I won't just watch my daughter die."  
"But that is exactly where you would be taking her. To her death," Emmett says.  
"Emm...," Carlisle starts.  
Emmett shakes his head and gets up before taking off to the forest.  
"I'm with Emmett. I don't like it," Rosalie says.  
"Neither do I," Alice says.  
"I know, but what choice do we have? We promised to protect Mia and if this is how we do that then so be it," Carlisle says.  
"I think we are forgetting that the decision ultimately lies with Mia," Esme says.  
Everyone turns to look at me and I take a deep breath.  
"Um...Well..."  
"We will support whatever decision you make, dear," Esme says.  
I nod, "I really appreciate everything you guys have done for me, but I think I should go back to the reserve. I don't want to cause you guys any more trouble than I already have and if it means that I can avoid causing a supernatural war then I'll do it."  
Carlisle sighs, "Then it's settled. However, I want the Elders permission that Mia be allowed to return here once every two weeks to help with her new status."  
Gabriel nods, "I think they'll agree to that."  
He turns towards me," I'll wait down here if you want to pack."  
I nod before slowly making my way upstairs. It feels like I'm leaving home and in a way I am. The Cullen's opened not only their home but their hearts to me. The pain of having to leave it is a lot worse than I thought it would be. To others, this place is just where the elusive Dr. Cullen and family lived. To me...this place was love. Unconditional, never-ending love. I lost a part of myself but gained the family that I have always wanted. There's a sort of sadness leaving a place that is filled with so much love and friendship. I know I will cherish each memory I have had and the love and friendship we all have will keep us together. But, right now it just feels like a knife is twisting in my gut. I start packing my bags, my mind is replaying the memories like a song on repeat. All the times I have gone hunting with Emmett, sparred with Jasper, shopped with Alice and Rosalie, cooked with Esme. I zip my bag up before making my way back downstairs to tell everyone goodbye.  
"Ready to go?" Gabriel asks.  
"Yeah."  
I turn to Carlisle and Esme.  
"Thank you both, for...for everything. I owe you a lot more than I could possibly ever repay. You have both taught me so much about what it means to be a vampire and showed me that just because the world might see me as a monster doesn't mean that I am one."  
"Oh, I'm going to miss you," Esme says pulling me into a hug.  
"I'll miss you too."  
Carlisle hugs me, "remember Mia. Once every two weeks and you are welcomed to return anytime. No matter what happens you will always be a part of this family and always have a home here."  
"Thank you," I whisper before pulling away.  
I turn to Alice and Jasper and Alice immediately pulls me into a hug.  
"Don't let them change your incredible fashion sense. I didn't do all the shopping when you first got here to let it all go down the drain."

I laugh, "don't worry. I won't."

I stick out my hand for Jasper to shake, but he ignores it and goes for a hug.

"I'm going to miss kicking your ass," he laughs.  
"Maybe next time you see me it'll be the other way around and you'll be the one of the mat," I laugh.  
"I look forward to it," he says.  
Edward steps forward and I pull him into a hug.  
"Take care Edward and tell Bella I said bye."  
"I will."  
Rosalie pulls me into a hug and has to wipe the tears from her eyes.  
"I'm going to miss you, bitch. Who else am I supposed to dramatize everything with?"  
I laugh, "I'm sure you'll be just fine."  
I wave at all of them and Gabriel grabs my bags. We walk out to the porch and instead of Gabriel's motorcycle, a Mustang sits in its place. Seth's mustang.  
"What happened to your bike?" I ask.  
"I had Seth take it home and loan me his car," Gabriel says.  
"You let someone else ride your bike?" I ask.  
"No, I let him get a tow truck and tow my bike back home."  
I laugh and shake my head before getting in. Gabriel puts my bags in the trunk and shakes hands with Carlisle.  
"Thank you for protecting my daughter," he says.  
"Think nothing of it. She's a good kid, well worth the risk."  
I wave at everyone as Gabriel gets in and we head down the road. Halfway there I realize that I never said goodbye to Emmett. Just as the thought hits me, Emmett comes roaring down the road in his jeep. He slams on his brakes once he sees that I'm in the car with Gabriel and Gabriel pulls over.  
"Go say goodbye," he says.  
I open my door and run to Emmett, who wraps me in one of his bear hugs.  
"Leaving without saying goodbye?"  
"Never," I say.  
"I'm going to miss you, Wolfe. You're my partner in crime."  
"I'm going to miss you too," I say, fighting back tears.  
"Don't cry, Wolfe. You know I'm only a phone call away. That's what all best friends say, right?"  
"I know, but you're more than my best friend Em...you're my brother."  
"Well, this brother is always going to have you back. One phone call, Mia. That's all it takes. One phone call and I'll come to get you, treaty be damned," he says.  
"And start a vampire-werewolf war while you do it," I chuckle.  
"If that's what it takes."  
I laugh again and pull away," I'll see you around."  
"Count on it, Wolfe. You're not getting rid of me that easily," he says with a wink.  
He pushes me towards Seth's car and closes the door once I'm inside.  
"Be safe out there, Wolfe."  
I nod and watch as Emmett gets smaller and smaller as we drive away.  
His gaze is unwavering and unabashed as he watches from behind the trees. His steely grey eyes travel up and down her body, possessively. He licks her lips almost like he can't taste her skin on his tongue, her blood on his lips. He misses the taste of her. She's intoxicating. She floods his every sense and he can't wait to drown.


	8. Chapter Eight

{Chapter Eight}

To say that I'm nervous would be the understatement of the century. The air around me feels heavy and makes it harder to breathe. My thoughts are scattered like there's a circuit shorting out somewhere. The only thing that is able to fight its way through the fog is fear. Primal Fear. I twist my fingers to stop my hands from trembling. My gaze never leaving my lap. Every part of me is screaming to run and never look back. To not take the risk that they won't rip me to shreds the second they see me. I've been in Seth's car for ten minutes, sitting outside of Sam and Emily's. I can hear the sounds of laughter and plates being set on the table. The delicious aroma alone is enough to make my stomach growl in protest and lures me out of the car. I freeze at the door though, unsure if I should just walk in. I'm about to go back to the car when Emily appears in the doorway.  
"Mia? Are you coming in?" she asks.  
"Um...I don't think..."  
"Come on. I'll make sure the boys behave themselves."  
Before I can protest any further, she leads me into the kitchen. The silence that sweeps across the room is stifling. Then chaos irrupts as Sam launches himself at me. I close my eyes and brace for impact, but none comes. I crack an eye open and am shocked to find Emily standing in front of me, her arms spread wide.  
"Enough, Sam."  
"Out of the way, Emily. I don't want you to get hurt."  
"The only way I'm getting hurt is if it's by you. Mia is not going to hurt me."  
"She's one of them," he growls.  
"She's one of _you."_  
Sam stares down at Emily, silent as she continues.  
"It was not her fault and I'm not about to let your arrogance or pride cost us a friend. She lost control, something that I'm sure you know all about."  
Sam flinches at Emily's last words, his eyes tracing the scar on her face that he put there. He sighs, his shoulders dropping before he looks at me.  
"As much as I hate to admit it, Emily is right."  
"He hesitates for a moment before sticking out a hand for me to shake. I eye it before grasping it in my own.  
"Truce?" he asks.  
"I nod, "truce."  
There is a collective sigh of relief and before I know it Jacob has me in a bone-crushing hug.  
"I'm so glad we didn't have to kill you."  
"Not as glad as I am," I say.  
Paul nudges Jacob out of the way, "move it, Black. You don't get to keep the pretty girl all to yourself. Especially not when the real person she wants to see is right here."  
He winks at me and I laugh before pulling him into a hug.  
"Miss me?" I ask.  
"Like you wouldn't believe."  
He steps away and I look around noticing that even though Gabriel had walked in, he's not here.  
"Where's Gabriel?" I ask.  
"The Elders called a meeting with him. I guess they want to go over the terms of your stay and what to do about Asher," Sam says.  
"What does that mean?" I ask.  
"It means that the Elders are still being the blind cowards that they always were," Gabriel says walking in.  
His hair is tousled like it has been the victim of a few too many hand run-throughs. His shoulders are set as if he is ready to swing at anyone should they get in his way.  
"That was a short meeting, what happened?" Sam asks.  
Gabriel takes a seat at the table, his hand running through his hair.  
"Goddamn Henry Waters happened."  
"Henry Waters? He hasn't been to a council meeting in over a decade," Jacob says.  
"Well he decided to be present for this one," Gabriel says.  
Emily sets a beer down in front of him and he nods in thanks before taking a long drink.  
"Son of a bitch cut my legs out from under me. Started going on and on about my reputation as an Alpha, asking why they should trust me when I let Asher get out of hand. I always knew Waters had it out for me, never thought he would use Asher as a way to get to me though. I warned them about Asher the second I thought something was wrong, but they didn't listen. Their damn pride refused to let them believe that one of their own would betray his pack, his alpha, or the reservation."  
"Paul scoffs, "they dropped the ball on that one then."  
"So, what does all that mean for Mia? And what does it mean for us in regards to stopping Asher?" Jacob asks.  
"Mia is safe, at least from them. They agreed to the Cullen's terms. As for Asher, they don't give a rat's ass. They say that since he was banished from the reservation and the pack, he is not their problem."  
"But he is a threat to the reservation," Sam says.  
"Not as they see it. According to them, he's a threat to Mia and Mia is one person so.."  
"So, the reservation comes before Mia," Sam says.  
"Which means..." Paul says.  
"Which means that they don't care if Mia lives or dies as long as the reservation is safe," Jacob says.  
We all look at Gabriel and he nods, confirming Jacob's statement.  
"Well, that's just a load of bull..."  
"Lunch is ready!" Emily calls out.  
We all grab a plate and sit at the table, the conversation turning to something lighter. After everyone is finished Gabriel gets up to leave.  
"I'm going to head out. See if I can find anything on What Asher's next move is. I'll call if I find anything."  
He pulls me into a hug, "don't go anywhere alone. I don't want you making things easier for Asher."  
"I won't," I say.  
He lets me go and heads out the door. After a few hours of goofing off with the rest of the guys, they head on patrol. I head upstairs to my new room. I just clear the doorway when I am slammed against the opposite wall, a hand tight around my throat.  
"Did you honestly believe that you would be safe from me here?" Asher growls.  
He squeezes my throat and I claw at his hands trying to loosen their grip.  
"That those mutts could protect you from me? That I wouldn't find you here?"  
"Please," I choke out.  
His grip is still tight as he steps closer to me. His body is pressed against mine and he buries his nose in my hair.  
"No one is going to keep you from me. No one."  
His lips press to mine in a show of brute force and I struggle to get away from him.  
"You are _mine_ ," he growls.  
Suddenly he is ripped away from me and I collapse to the floor. My hand rubs my throat as I gasp for the breath that was withheld from me. Seth throws Asher across the room. Before Asher can get up, Seth is on him. He throws punch after punch and grabs him by the throat, lifting him in the air.  
"You will _never_ touch her again," Seth growls.  
Asher laughs, "afraid she likes it too much, lover boy?"  
The growl that rips from Seth's throat is one of a predator. Asher smiles at the sound, blood dripping from his nose. Seth's whole body is shaking uncontrollably. It will only be a matter of minutes before he loses complete control, I know it and Asher knows it too. Seth tries to calm himself down and the distraction gives Asher time to break free. He twists Seth's wrist until Seth is on his knees. He locks eyes with me and smiles before plunging his hand into Seth's chest. Seth lets out an earthshaking roar.  
"She might love you, but she will always belong to me. I'm in her head, lover boy. How long do you think it will take for me to have complete control again? For me to convince her to rip your heart out and eat it? Everything she is is because I say so. Everything she does is because I allow it. Every thought she has is because I put it there. Her heart might be yours, but her soul is mine."

I find the strength to get to my feet and hiss in pain. My only thought is to stop him from hurting Seth. I charge at Asher and we go crashing through the window. The last thing I hear before darkness takes me is the sound of Seth screaming my name.

 **Author's Note: I told you guys it was going to get a little more exciting. I'm super excited about the next few chapters because I new character is introduced. I hope you guys are enjoying the story so far! Happy reading-Jess**


	9. Chapter Nine

{Chapter Nine}

Streaks of sunlight penetrate the window as I blink, close my eyes, and blink again. The only sound I hear is the sound of birds outside. I want to stand but my legs give way to gravity and I collapse. I blink as the blurriness fades from my vision and my surroundings become clearer. My grip on the bed rail is so tight that my knuckles are white. I try to get to my feet again, but gravity stands in my way. This time before I can hit the floor, a familiar pair of arms circles around my waist.  
"Easy there, gorgeous," Seth says.  
Seth helps me back onto the bed and I try to take some deep and steadying breaths.  
"I'm fine. I'm fine," I gasp, waving him off.  
"You're not. You feel from a second story window."  
"Really, I am. I'm just having...having some trouble bre...breathing," I gasp out.  
As if summoned by magic, Carlisle appears at my side. Before I can protest, he fits an oxygen mask over my face.  
"Deep breaths, Mia."  
I nod and inhale as he continues to check my vitals. Seth intertwines my fingers with his and I squeeze his hand in reassurance. After a few minutes, Carlisle removes the mask and asks me to breathe on my own. I take a few deep breaths as he listens, and after a few minutes, he nods in satisfaction.  
"Good, your breathing is back to normal. I would suggest not attempting to walk on your own again. At least not for a few days, your body is still in recovery," Carlisle says.  
"So, what happens next?" I ask.  
"You recover. A discussion on what happened can wait until you are back on your feet," Carlisle says.  
"But..."  
"Doctor's orders," Carlisle says.  
I sigh or rather sigh as best as I can since sighing feels like a stab to the gut. Carlisle leaves and Seth takes a seat in the chair next to the bed. His gaze wanders over me like he is terrified that any moment I will fade from existence. He runs his hand through his hair before shaking his head and scoffing.  
"What?" I ask.  
"You have no idea how much I love you, do you?" he asks.  
"What are you talking about?" I ask.  
"I thought I had lost you. I thought you were dead, that I had just watched you die. I felt so...so..."  
He closes his fist before opening it again, "helpless. I felt helpless."  
"Seth..."  
"You risked your life for me."  
"You would have done the same thing," I say.  
Seth shakes his head, "it's not the same."  
"Why isn't it?"  
Seth stands up and starts pacing the floor. He is mumbling to himself as if he is trying to talk himself into saying what he wants to say. He finally stops at the end of the bed, his gaze locking onto mine.  
"It's not the same because you can live without me, but I can't...I can't live without you."  
"Seth..."  
He holds up a hand, "let me finish."  
I nod for him to continue and he takes a deep breath.  
"You can live without me, but I can't live without you because I don't want to. You are my everything, Mia. Believe me, I know how intense that sounds but it's true. Without you, I would be...I would be lost. Our connection is a lot more than just two kids in love. It's..it's almost fundamental to my existence. I would do anything for you, be anything for you...I..."  
He growls in frustration as the words leave him and I gesture for him to come closer. He walks closer and I pull him down for a kiss, pouring all of my love into it. He pulls away but rests his forehead to mine. His eyes are still closed.  
"Seth, look at me," I whisper.  
He opens his eyes and I gaze into his, hoping that my eyes show my absolute dedication to what I'm about to say.  
"You're wrong."  
He squints in question and I press my lips to his again.  
"I can't live without you. You're my soulmate, the love of my life, the one. You're all of it. Like you said before, you and I are endgame and nothing... nothing is going to change that. I love you, Seth Clearwater."  
The smile that lights up his face as I say those three little words is the biggest and brightest I have ever seen. His lips are one mine in an instant and I can feel all the love and passion in that one kiss. He pulls away again before smiling at me.  
"Say it again."  
"Say what again? I didn't say anything," I laugh.  
He laughs before pressing another kiss to my lips.  
"I love you," I say.  
He laughs again before pressing another kiss to my lips.  
"I love you," I say.  
He laughs again before laying back in his chair.  
"I just...I'm just the happiest man on the planet right now."  
He jumps up from his chair, smiling like an idiot the entire time.  
"I have to go run off this excitement. I don't think I've ever been this happy."  
I laugh, and he presses a kiss to my lips before running out the door, almost crashing into Emmett.  
"Sorry!" he yells out.  
Emmett mumbles something about dogs before shooting me his signature smile.  
"So, I leave you for what? Like eight hours and you almost kill yourself? That has got to be some kind of record, Wolfe."  
I roll my eyes, "I wasn't trying to die. I was stopping Asher from choking out Seth."  
"Speaking of, what was he so happy about?"  
"I told him that I fully believe he could kick your ass," I say.  
"Haha, very funny. It's not nice to fill his head with fantasies."  
Emmett pulls me into a hug which I gladly return. He then takes Seth's recently vacated chair and puts his feet up on the bed, his arms behind his head.  
"Comfortable?" I ask, one eyebrow raised.  
"Very."  
I'm about to make another comment when Gabriel walks in, worry etched on his face. It fades once he sees me smiling. He doesn't hesitate to pull me into a massive hug.  
"You trying to send your old man to an early grave? You scared the crap out of me, little wolf."  
"I know and I'm sorry," I say.  
He pulls away and looks at Emmett, "you yell at her yet about tackling a guy out of the window yet?"  
Emmett shakes his head, "nope. Thought I would leave that to you and Carlisle."  
Gabriel shakes his head before pulling up another chair, "I wasn't planning on it. I can't really yell at her for something I would have done if I was in her position."  
"What do you mean?" Emmett asks.  
"She wasn't reacting as a normal person would. She was reacting like an imprintee who saw their imprinter in danger. Or maybe as an imprinter who say their imprintee in danger. I'm not sure how her and Seth's imprinting works since they are both wolves," Gabriel says.  
"Imprinting? What's that?" I ask.  
"Sounds like you printed something on a tee shirt," Emmett says.  
Gabriel laughs, "it's what draws you to Seth and what draws Seth to you. When a shifter finds their soulmate, they imprint. They become unconditionally bound to whoever they imprinted on. We aren't sure why it happens, although Sam seems to think it is whoever you have the best chance of reproducing with. Billy Black and I believe that imprinting is designed to make us stronger."  
"How do you know if you've been imprinted?" I ask.  
"Well, I can't describe the feeling for the imprintee. But the imprinter will feel pulled towards whoever they imprinted on. A kind of heat feels you and everyone and everything else becomes secondary. Even your own life."  
Emmett and I are silent as Gabriel's eyes mist over for a second, almost like he is lost in a memory. He shakes his head to clear it before shooting us a smile.  
"Anyway, that's probably why you charged Asher out of a window."  
I nod, and Emmett gets up feeling the tension in the room.  
"I think I'll go check and see if Rosalie needs help with picking out her latest hair accessory."  
He walks out of the room and leaves Gabriel and me in silence. Gabriel opens his mouth to say something, but I cut him off.  
"It was my mom wasn't it?" I ask.  
Gabriel is silent for a moment before he closes his eyes and sighs.  
"She was my best friend. My everything, I thought... I thought..." he sighs again.  
"I thought we would spend the rest of our lives together, but she wanted to leave the reservation. I told her I would leave with her, that I would relinquish my right as Alpha to be with her. But she...she didn't want that. Said that it was my responsibility to protect the reservation and all who live on it. I refused, told her I didn't care about anything except her, that nothing else mattered to me. But it was something she felt strongly about, so in order to get me to stay, she... she rejected me. Chose Hunter instead, I guess because he was already leaving the pack, so he didn't have any responsibilities to anyone. God, it felt like my heart had been ripped out of my chest. I wanted to die. A few years later they asked me to fly to New York and I fell in love all over again. Except for this time, it's different. This time it's with this beautiful little girl full of laughter and smiles, who looked up at me and called me uncle Gaby."  
He smiles over at me and takes my hand, "I knew then that I couldn't go anywhere. That the little girl had captured my heart 100%, I was as whipped as a person could be. I was going to spend every waking moment being the best damn uncle on the planet. Then years later, I come to find out that, that little girl is my little girl..."  
He blows out a breath, "my whole world changed. It felt like a piece of me had been put back. Everything started clicking into place. I knew that there was no going back. I was terrified that day you found out that you would reject me. Tell me to go to hell. But then you looked at me and I saw that little girl all over again and you said you wanted me to be your dad. That you wanted to give me a chance. You gave me the greatest possible gift I could have ever gotten from anyone. You have my life meaning again. You gave me a reason to live, a reason to fight, you gave me everything."  
He wipes the tears from my face because I am openly crying at this point and laughs.  
"Hey, none of that. This is supposed to be a happy moment."  
"It is. These are tears of joy," I say, sniffling.  
I wipe my face and he shakes his head, "come here, Little Wolf."  
He pulls me into another hug and I bury my head in his chest. For years I have always felt closer to Gabriel than anybody else. He always had a way of making me feel safe like nothing bad was ever going to happen to me because he would always be there. He was the one that made it to every recital, every soccer tournament, every birthday party. Hunter was always at work or away on a business trip, so my mom was always forced to say "sorry sweetheart, but daddy couldn't make it." She never had to say that about Gabriel though, he always showed up. I pull away after a minute and look up at him.  
"Thank you," I say.  
"For what?" he asks, one eyebrow raised.  
"For being there when he wasn't."  
"Believe me, little wolf. I couldn't imagine being anywhere else." 


	10. Chapter Ten

{Chapter Ten}

The next day I find myself in Carlisle's office telling him and Gabriel about the fight. I even tell them, with some strong encouragement from Emmett and Edward, about the nightmares that have been plaguing me since I was turned. Once I finish, I heave a big sigh of relief and wait for them to react.  
"It seems as though you were right Carlisle," Gabriel says.  
"I feared that I would be," he says.  
"Huh? Right about what?" I ask.  
"Seth came to us the day he brought you here and addressed some concerns he head. He said that Asher claimed that he still had control over you, that he could make you do whatever he wanted. At first, we thought that Asher was just trying to scare Seth, but we looked into it just in case. After we found that it didn't fit the description because you didn't seem to be having any trouble with Asher and control, we pushed it aside. However, Seth's story combined with your nightmares confirms it," Carlisle says.  
"Confirms what?" I ask.  
"That Asher used compulsion on you," Gabriel says.  
"Compulsion is an ability that some vampires or in yours and Asher's case, hybrids have. It allows them to control the mind of another simply through eye contact, verbal command, or just by an advanced form of the ability," Carlisle says.  
"And you think that Asher used that on me?" I ask.  
"He certainly did it to get you to attack everyone and we believe he has been doing it ever since. Although why he has not compelled you to simply come to him or attack everyone we are not sure," Gabriel says.  
"Perhaps since the first initial attack, his compulsion has weakened and he no longer has complete control," Carlisle says.  
"I don't want to wait to find out so, how do we break it?" I ask.  
"Either by the death of the Compeller or by having them break it themselves. There is a third way, but it involves finding a vampire or hybrid stronger than Asher to compel you to forget Asher's original compulsion," Carlisle says.  
"Okay, do you know any strong compellers?" I ask.  
"I believe so, yes. When I was with the Volturi we met a rather unique vampire with the ability to make people and vampires do whatever he wanted just by looking at them. Aro tried to convince him to join us, but he rejected the offer and made Aro forget about him. If I can find him then I may be able to get him to help us. Until I do, I think we should try looking for a way to further weaken Asher's hold on you," Carlisle says.  
"I'll ask some of the Elders I can still trust. Maybe one of them knows an ancient trick that can help," Gabriel says.  
Gabriel heads out and I leave Carlisle's office. It feels like my battle with Asher will be never-ending. Feeling a little overwhelmed, I head off into the woods to clear my head. The rush of the wind against my face, helps me to slow my thoughts. I reach the creek that runs through the woods and sit down on a nearby rock. I'm so lost in my thoughts that it takes me a minute to notice that Seth has come up behind me.  
"How long have you been following me?" I ask.  
He walks closer, "long enough to know you're not okay."  
I sigh and he gestured to the spot next to him.  
"Mind if I sit?"  
"It's a free country, isn't it?" I say, tossing a rock into the water.  
He sits down next to me and picks up a few rocks before tossing them in his hand.  
"You want to talk about it?"  
"Nope."  
He nods and tosses his rocks into the water before settling in and picking at the grass.  
"Have I ever told you that there was a time that I was not the Casanova you see before you today?" he asks.  
I look over at him, my eyebrow raised in question and he nods.  
"Yep, your boy here has faced rejected many, many times. In fact, I would say that I was an embarrassment to teen boys everywhere."  
"It could not have been that bad," I say.  
"She got up on stage at a pep rally and announced to the whole school that she would not go out with me and neither would her best friend."  
"You asked out her best friend too?"  
Seth shrugs, "I wanted a fallback in case the first girl rejected me."  
"And you thought her best friend was the way to go?"  
"At the time. Plus, I couldn't figure out which one of them I thought was prettier."  
"Wow, Clearwater. You truly are a terrible human being," I say, jokingly.  
He laughs, "so I've been told. What about you? What is the most embarrassing moment?"  
"Oh, no. I'm not telling you that, it will ruin the illusion that I'm practically perfect in every way."  
"Come on, I shared mine with you. Plus, nothing could ruin the illusion that you're perfect."  
"Nope. Not going to tell you."  
"Please, there aren't supposed to be secrets between two people in a relationship. I also promise not to laugh and take it to my grave."  
I look over at him and he has this goofy grin on his face. I sigh before shaking my head.  
"I can't believe I'm telling you this. Ninth grade football game, I'm the photographer for the yearbook. The ball went a little further than it was supposed to and hit me in the face. I fell off the bleacher I was sitting on and broke my collarbone in three places and got a black eye from my camera."  
I look over at Seth again and he is shaking with laughter.  
"I thought you said you wouldn't laugh!"  
"How could I not?"  
"Because it's not funny!"  
"Yes, yes it is. Who falls off the bleachers and breaks his collarbone?" he laughs.  
"I was a very fragile ninth grader," I say.  
He wipes the corners of his eyes before pulling me close and planting a kiss on my lips.  
"Thank you," I say.  
"For?"  
"For making me feel better. For getting me out of my own head."  
"Anytime, gorgeous."  
He smiles at me and I smile back before shoving him over and into the creek. The smile from his face fade and I laugh at the look of shock on his face.  
"Oh, you are going to pay for that?" Seth growls, playfully.  
"You'll have to catch me first, Clearwater," I laugh.  
I get up and take off into the woods as Seth gets to his feet.  
"Oh, I'll catch you."  
I put on another burst of speed and run straight into a wall of sandy brown fur after about sixty seconds. I fall on my butt and look up at the wolf that is Seth.  
"How did you beat me here?" I ask.  
The wolf makes a sound like a laugh and I roll my eyes.  
"You cheated," I say.  
He shakes his head no.  
"Yeah, you did."  
He shakes his head no again and I get up and brush myself off.  
"Best two out of three?" I ask.  
He nods and I stretch my legs.  
"Ten seconds head start and if I get to the Cullen's before you catch me then I win. If you catch me before the Cullen's then you win, the loser has to do whatever the winner wants," I say.  
Seth nods and I take a deep breath.  
"Ten seconds and...go!"  
I take off into the woods, using all the speed that I have. There is no way I'm going to let Seth catch me this time.  
 _Blood streams from between his fingers as he makes his way further and further down the alley. He grits his teeth and presses his hand to his side. Sharp pain shoots through his head and white spots splash in front of his eyes. Wincing in pain, he leans against the wall and pulls his hand away from his side. Blood covers his hand and he hisses in pain as he inhales. The smell of blood at the end of the alley alerts him to someone else's presence. He can hear the voice laughing, soft and sweet. A woman. His predatory instincts take over and he can feel the sweet relief flooding his veins as he rips her apart. As his strength returns to him, rage replaces the relief. He tosses a girl aside and lets out a blood-curdling scream._


	11. Chapter Eleven

{Chapter Eleven}

I laugh as Seth spins me around, his arms around my waist.  
"This means I win, right?" he asks, his lips at my ear.  
He sets me down and I turn around and curl my fingers in his hair.  
"I believe it does, Clearwater. So, what would you like as your reward?" I ask.  
Seth bites his lips, thinking his answer is over.  
"I don't know. I mean I have a lot of options..."  
His face brightens as an idea comes to him and his thumb traces circles on my hip.  
"I know what I want," he says.  
"Oh, yeah?"  
"A date."  
I pull away to make sure that I heard him right. There's a bright smile on his face.  
"A date?" I ask.  
"Yep, a date. Just the two of us. What do you think?"  
I'm silent as I think it over. Our last date didn't exactly go as planned due to the appearance of Asher and the licking of my face. I shudder as the memory of Asher's tongue on my cheek rises to the surface. A date would be nice, and I did promise a reward to the winner. I smile at Seth before bringing him in for a kiss.  
"A date it is."  
We are interrupted by the sound of my phone ringing. Seth groans as he continues his assault on my neck.  
"Ignore it," he says, pressing his lips to mine again.  
"I can't. It could be important," I say.  
"It's not. Whoever it is can leave a voicemail."  
I laugh before pulling away from Seth, he frowns before pulling me into his arms again.  
"Hello?" I say.  
"Mia?"  
"Hunter?" I ask.  
There is a silence on the other end of the phone like he can't believe that I called him Hunter instead of dad.  
"I see my brother has wasted no time in making you forget who raised you," he says.  
"He didn't. It's just that you're not exactly my fa..."  
"I raised you. Therefore, I am exactly your father. It doesn't matter though because I am on my way to La Push."  
"A. You weren't there to raise me, mom was. and B. what? why?"  
"Because my brother has decided that he wants custody of my daughter and I would like to know why. I'm boarding the plane now and should be there in a few hours."  
"Okay. I guess I'll see you then," I say.  
"Goodbye, Mia."  
"Bye."  
I hang up and Seth brushes my hair out of my face.  
"You okay?" he asks.  
"I honestly don't know. Hunter is coming to the reservation."  
"Hunter as in your dad Hunter? The guy who hasn't stepped foot on the reservation in sixteen years?" Seth asks.  
"Yeah, apparently Gabriel petitioned the court for legal custody of me."  
"Can he do that?" Seth asks.  
"I have no idea. Either way, I have to go deal with this which means our date can't happen tonight. I'm sorry, Seth."  
Seth nods, "It's fine. I have patrol tonight anyway, go deal with your dads and then we'll go on our date some other time. I already told you, I'll wait as long at it takes."  
He kisses my forehead and I smile at him before heading inside to ask Esme if I can borrow a car.  
"Hey, Esme?" I call out.  
She emerges from the kitchen with a smile on her face.  
"Yes, Mia. Is everything alright?"  
"Everything's fine. I just wanted to know if I could borrow a car. I need to head back to the reservation to talk to Gabriel about something. I would have gotten a ride with Seth, but has patrol so he's not taking his car."  
"Sure, Mia. Just give me one moment."  
"Thanks, Esme."  
I follow Esme to the garage and she grabs a set of keys before handing them to me.  
"A gift from me and Carlisle."  
I raise an eyebrow at her and hit the button, listening for the chirp of a car. Once I hear it, I make my way past all the other cars and my mouth hits the floor.  
"No way. You guys didn't," I say.  
"Do you not like it?" Esme asks.  
"Not like it? I love it! How... when..."  
"Carlisle thought you might like a way to get around. We thought about buying you something simpler, but Edward insisted on picking out the car himself. Something about how it's his duty as a big brother or something," Esme says.  
Sitting in front of me is a black Aston Martin DBS Superleggera. I walk around the car, taking a moment to take it in.  
"This has got to be the greatest day of my life," I say.  
Esme laughs, "I'll let Edward know you like it."  
"I'm pretty sure he already knows due to the internal screaming I'm doing in my head," I say.  
Esme laughs again before gesturing to the car.  
"What are you waiting for? Take it for a spin."  
I nod, "you don't have to tell me twice."  
Climbing in, I sigh as I sink into the seat.  
"This. This is what heaven feels like," I say running my hands over the steering wheel.  
"Have fun, dear. But please be safe. You may be indestructible, but the car is not."  
"I will," I say.  
Esme heads back inside and before I know it I'm out of the garage, down the driveway, and on the open road.  
 _Rage roars through his veins like water relentlessly beating a pier. He had underestimated her newfound strength, underestimated her bond to the wolf. It was not a mistake he would make again. He'll rip them all limb from limb if he has to. He'll do whatever it takes to consume her, mind, body, and soul. She was his and no one elses. No one was going to take her away from him..._


	12. Chapter Twelve

{Chapter Twelve}

I laugh as Gabriel lets out a whistle, walking around the car. I had finally found him at Elder Harrison's house.  
"Is this what I think it is?" he asks.  
"Do you mean is it the new Aston Martin? Yes, yes it is."  
"And how did you, Little Wolf, get the new Aston Martin?" he asks.  
"It was a gift from Carlisle and Esme."  
"Remind me to ask the Doc to make me an honorary member of the family," he says.  
"I'll be sure to let him know," I laugh.  
"So, what brings you by? I thought you were staying at the Cullen's for a couple more days."  
"I was but then I got an interesting phone call from Hunter."  
Gabriel blows out a breath before running his hand through his hair.  
"Shit."  
"Shit is right."  
"Mia..."  
"Do you want to tell me why exactly you decided to petition the court for custody of me? And more importantly, why you didn't tell me?" I ask.  
"I'm only doing this because I think it's what is best for you. You belong here on the reservation with the pack. If I had known you were mine sooner then you would have grown up here with your people, not in New York trying to hide who you are and your legacy."  
I shake my head, "you do realize that he is one of the top lawyers in New York, right? Not to mention he is also being considered for Attorney General. There is no way he is going to let you win."  
"I'm highly aware of my brother's success, Little Wolf. I'm also highly aware that he didn't play by the rules to get there."  
I know exactly what Gabriel is talking about. Hell, half of New York probably knows what Gabriel is talking about. Hunter didn't exactly get to be the top lawyer in New York by being a good lawyer, not that he isn't one. However, let's just say that when the Italian Mafia asks you to handle certain things discreetly and you do, you can easily find yourself working for the top law firm in the city as a name partner without even lifting a finger.  
"He's going to come at you with everything he's got."  
Gabriel looks at me before pulling me into a hug.  
"I know, Little Wolf. But I'll be damned if I let you spend another day being the daughter of that bastard. I'm not scared of anyone or anything he can throw at me. He might not want to admit it but I'm still alpha. More importantly, I'm his alpha which is something he has got no choice but to respect."  
My phone cuts off the rest of our conversation and I pull it out to glance at the caller I.d.  
"Speak of the devil," I say before answering.  
"Mia, if you have time to spare in between being a crushing disappointment to me and a disrespectful delinquent to your mother; I am at the airport and in need of a ride. I expect you here within the next hour."  
Before I have a chance to respond there is a click and then a dial tone. I shake my head as I hang and stick my phone back in my pocket.  
"Did he just call you a crushing disappointment?" Gabriel asks.  
"Yep. Don't forget I am also a disrespectful delinquent," I say.  
Gabriel shakes his head, mumbling under his breath.  
"Go get that asshole and bring him to Rose's. He's got another thing coming if he thinks he can talk to you that way. Especially since he hasn't exactly been the perfect son to his own mother."  
"You got it, hoss."  
I jump into my car and head to the airport, already mentally preparing myself for the car ride from hell with Hunter.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

{Chapter Thirteen}

It takes me almost an hour to get to the airport. It takes my father less than fifteen seconds to make me feel insignificant. The second he spots me behind the wheel of the Aston Martin, he freezes and then sighs. Shaking his head, he immediately pulls out his phone.

"Who did you steal this from?" he asks.

"Wow! It's nice to know you think so highly of me," I say.

"Just tell me who I have to pay off to not press charges against you, Mia."

"No one, so put your phone away. For your information, this car was a gift from two people who don't find me to be a crushing disappointment."

"Do they know you probably lied to them, whomever they are?" he asks.

I shake my head in disbelief. I want to act like I'm surprised that he expects the worse of me, but I'm not.

"Just get in the car, dad.'

Choosing to ignore my tone at the word dad, he loads his bags into the trunk and gets in. Before we even pull out of the pick-up zone, his phone is pressed to his ear and he is ignoring me like always. The only acknowledgment I get is the subtle glances being thrown my way after he hangs up.

"Trouble in paradise?" I ask.

"Nothing that Nancy can't handle while I'm away."

"Oh, right. How is the homewrecking whore?" I ask.

"I do believe we discussed you not calling Nancy names."

"It's not a name. It's a soon to be description of what she is."

"Then I would appreciate it if you didn't describe my secretary in a bad manner."

"At least you would be appreciating something I was doing."

I don't get a response, just the famous Hunter Wolfe sigh that means I've disappointed him somehow, yet again.

"And there it is," I say.

"What?"

"The great Hunter Wolfe sigh of disappointment. I was wondering how long it would take for you to sigh at me like that. What's it been like a half hour since I picked you up?"

"That was not a sigh of disappointment."

"Oh, really? Then what would you call it? Because you only do it when I don't meet your standards, or I've disappointed you and I would know because I've been hearing the sound my entire life."

He's silent as I glance over at him in shock. Have I just rendered him speechless?

"Where are we going?" he asks, changing the subject.

"To Grandma Rose. In case you forgot, you do have family here that would be highly offended if you stayed anywhere else."

"Did Rose buy you this car?" he asks.

"Not that it is any of your business but no, she did not."

"Then who did? Because you certainly didn't buy it yourself?"

I sigh, "Dr. Cullen and his wife bought it."

"Dr. Cullen as in Carlisle Cullen?"

"Yep."

"And how pray tell do you know Carlisle Cullen and his wife? Furthermore, why is he buying you a car?"

"You know as much as I would love to answer your question, I'm not going to. We're here."

I turn off the car and get out without giving him a backward glance. I only stop when I reach Rose's front door and realize that he's not behind me. Backtracking, I find him still sitting in the car.

"Are you coming inside, or do you plan on spending your entire stay in the car? I mean it is a nice car and I'm sure you would be comfortable but..."

"It looks exactly the same," he whispers.

"What? The house?"

He nods as understanding dawns on me. He hasn't been back to La Push or the house in sixteen years. He never came to visit. He didn't call, write, or anything. In fact, whenever Grandma Rose would come to visit for the holidays, mom and I always had to meet her at her hotel. Hunter...Hunter got on a plane and never looked back. He gets out of the car slowly and follows me up the front steps and inside. His eyes never leave the spot in front of him, until we are in the front hallway.

"Rose? Gabe?" I call out.

Rose and Gabriel come from the living room, Rose walking out first. She stops in her tracks the second her eyes meet Hunter's. It's like she doesn't believe he's standing in front of her because she steps forward and grabs his arm.

"Hunter? You're here? You're really here?"

"I am, mom."

Tears form in Rose's eyes as she pulls Hunter into a long-awaited hug.

"My boy, my beautiful baby boy."

"Oh, sure. He gets a hug after disappearing for sixteen years and never contacting you. I leave for a couple of months and get a slap on the head and a lecture," Gabriel says.

Hunter pulls away from Rose, looking Gabriel up and down.

"Gabriel."

"Hunter."

"I believe we have quite a few things to discuss, Gabriel."

"That we do, little brother."

Hunter winces and Gabriel gives a small chuckle before shaking his head.

"You always hated being reminded that you're younger."

"And you never fail to remind me of it the first chance you get. I see nothing has changed."

Hunter looks Gabriel over again, "including the way you carry yourself."

Gabriel crosses his arms over his chest before scoffing, "I'm sorry that I couldn't throw on my three-thousand dollar suit the great you, Hunt. I have bigger priorities than what tailor I should use. As for changes... a lot of things have changed since the last time Hunter. In case you haven't heard, I have a daughter. Maybe you've met her."

Hunter growls, "she may be yours biologically brother but don't forget who raised her for sixteen years."

"If you call what you did raising her? Because as I recall, little brother, you were fairly absent from Mia's childhood. Do you even know how many soccer championships she won or were you too busy screwing your secretary? No, wait, my bad. You were busy kissing the Italian Mafia's ass to be screwing anybody."

Hunter laughs, "that's the best you got? Jealous of my success, brother? Perhaps, you're jealous that all you amounted to be some biker boy with half pipe dream and a pack of dogs? And now you think you can step up and be a father? You could barely control your pack of mutts, you think you can handle a teenager? You might like to believe that you have a right to _my_ daughter, but you don't. You didn't when Lily picked me sixteen years ago and you sure as hell don't now. I knew...I knew letting Mia come here was a mistake. Lily convinced me though, said it might be good for Mia to get in touch with her roots. If I had known that she was going to be within fifteen feet of you, I never would have let her out of my sight."

"Are you saying the reservation isn't good enough for her?" Gabriel asks.

"No, brother. I'm saying that you aren't good enough for her. You weren't good enough for Lily and you sure as hell aren't good enough to raise my daughter!" Hunter yells.

"You son of a bi-"

Gabriel lunges forward, grabbing Hunter by the collar of his jacket. He shoves Hunter into the wall behind him and Hunter smirks.

"Do it! I dare you. Give me another reason to get the judge to rule you unfit."

Gabriel is shaking uncontrollably, and I know it's only a matter of time before he snaps. Stepping forward, I place a hand on Gabriel's arm.

"Gabe."

He looks over at me, before looking back at Hunter. I can hear the growl at the back of his throat.

"Gabriel Alexander Wolfe, you let your brother go this instant. You boys haven't been in the same house let alone the same room in sixteen years and I'll be damned if this ends in bloodshed. Now, let. Him. Go." Rose says.

Gabriel looks at me and a nod. He sighs before jerking away from Hunter and running his hand through his hair.

"Sorry, mom. Sorry, little wolf."

Hunter is straightening out his suit but freezes at the sound of my nickname.

"What did you just call her?"

"Little Wolf. It's what she is. Or would you like her to deny that part of herself too?" Gabriel growls.

"I have never told Mia to deny anything," Hunter says.

"Oh, bullshit! Mia wouldn't know half of who she is if mom and I hadn't of told her. Did you even tell her she was a wolf or were you just hoping she never found out?" Gabriel says.

"You have no right to critique my parenting..."

"Enough! I already told you two boys that I will not tolerate this. Gabriel, you know better. You say you're an alpha then damn well act like it. Hunter, I will not have you coming into my house and calling your brother a terrible father. He has been more a father to Mia then you have the past couple of months. I have heard the phone conversations you have with her and I know I raised you better than that. Now, the two of you seem to be forgetting that the most important thing in all of this is Mia and what or who is best for her. So, until you can both get your heads out of your asses and focus on her, then this discussion is over."

Rose turns towards me and pulls me into a hug.

"Mia, I apologize for these two and using such foul language in front of you. I am sure that Dr. Cullen and Esme are getting worried, so I think it's time for you to head back."

I nod, giving her an extra squeeze.

"Nothing to apologize for on your part, but are you sure you can handle those two?"

She laughs, "I've been handling them for years. They know how this goes."

I laugh before taking one last look at everyone and heading out the door.

 **A Half Hour Later...**

I swerve out of the road as a massive shadow crosses the road in front of me. Careening to a stop, I have to force myself not to immediately slam on my brakes due to the road being wet.

"What the hell?"

The shadow moves behind the car as a long growl vibrates the air around me. It sounds like the beginning of an avalanche, rumbling before the snow crashes down the mountain. I turn around in my seat, seeing if I can spot it and freeze when I giant amber colored eye fills my window. The chill that fills the air threatens to suffocate me as I try to take a breath. The only thing I can hear is the sound of my heart beating in my chest.

" _Are you afraid, sweet?"_

"Asher."

It would be almost indistinguishable from a real wolf if it wasn't for its massive size. The shadow that fills the headlights reveals itself to be a wolf unlike any I had ever seen before. It was as big as a mountain, with fur as dark as midnight.

 _"Did you miss me, sweet? Did you think that you had stopped me with that little stunt you pulled?"_

He laughs, but instead of a laugh, it sounds like the earth is about to split open.

 _"I admit that you almost had me. I truly thought that it was the end to our little game, but then...then I came across this delicious little snack that was all too willing to help me."_

I'm silent as he continues, trying to figure out if I can outdrive a wolf his size.

 _"Now, don't be jealous. I promise that she didn't mean anything to me. In fact, let me show you just how little she meant..."_

"No, no, no. Not now."

I am suddenly plunged into all too familiar darkness as Asher's memories once again invade my own.

 **Author's Note: Hey guys! So, first off if you are reading this...Merry Christmas! I totally thought that I had uploaded this chapter already, but I guess I dreamed it or something. Anyway, here's the next chapter. I hope you guys enjoy it! -Jess**


	14. Chapter Fourteen

{Chapter Fourteen}

My head is pounding as I open my eyes, I can still taste the blood from Asher's memory. Flashes of the girl's face play over and over in my head as I fight to keep from upheaving the contents of my stomach. Pushing my door open, I collapse onto the cold, hard ground below. The fight with my stomach is a lost cause as all the contents make an appearance on the ground in front of me. Wiping my face, I groan before leaning against the car with my head between my legs. I take a few more deep breaths before forcing myself to get up and answer my phone that is buzzing in the passenger seat. I return to my spot on the ground before hitting answer.

"Hello?" I groan.

"Mia?" Edward asks.

"Edward?"

"Where are you? We've been..."

He is cut off by the rest of my stomach contents deciding to make an appearance. I wipe my mouth again and put the phone back to my ear.

"You were saying?"

"Stay where you are. Jasper and I are on our way."

There's a click as he hangs up the phone and I toss my phone back into the car. I just need the world to stop spinning for a second, then I'll be okay. I close my eyes and take a few more deep breaths. I shakily get to my feet as the sound of two car doors, slamming shut fill the air. Edward and Jasper make their way over to me and Jasper grabs me before I fall again.

"What happened?" he asks.

"Asher. He..."

I take a deep breath through my nose to stop the third round of vomit.

"He appeared out of nowhere like a freaking ghost and did some crazy shit. The next thing I know, I'm waking up with a pounding headache, memories that aren't mine, the taste of blood in my mouth, and the incredible urge to vomit my entire stomach."

Jasper passes me to Edward, who sticks me in the passenger seat of his car before closing the door and heading to the driver's seat.

"What about my car?" I ask.

"Jasper will get it. He's taking a look around and contacting the wolves. Is there anything else you can remember?" Edward asks.

"Yeah. He was a wolf," I say.

"What?"

"Asher was a wolf and I don't mean like the kind in the pack. I mean like a behemoth of a monster. And where are we going?" I ask.

"Sam called while you were out. The Elders want you back on the reservation for tonight. I already texted Sam and he is sending someone to pick you up at the border since Seth is on border patrol."

"Okay. Any word from Carlisle and Emmett?"

"They're still looking. Apparently, this guy is harder to find than they thought. He lives under radar or something. They believe they are on the right track though and should find him in the next few days."

He glances at me and before I know it there's a bottle of water in my lap.

"What's this for?" I ask.

"You look like you could use it. Plus, I'm pretty sure half of your fluids were on the ground back there," Edward says.

I nod in thanks before removing the cap and downing half the bottle.

"You know you really shouldn't have done that," Edward says.

"Wh..."

Edward pulls over and I have to all but throw myself out of the passenger seat to make sure I don't vomit in Edward's car.

"That's why."

"What the hell?" I ask, wiping my face.

"I did try to warn you."

"How about next time you warn me before I chug the water like a frat boy chugging a beer?"

"I'll remember that for next time," Edward laughs.

"Not funny. I'm pretty sure I just threw up half of my body weight," I say.

Edward laughs and shakes his head, "need some help getting back in?"

I wave him off, "no. I got it."

I get back into the car and by the time we get to the border, it's almost one a.m. Paul is waiting for me when we pull up as Edward and I get out of the car.

"Hey gorgeous," Paul smiles at me.

He nods at Edward, who nods in return. I roll my eyes before turning back to Edward.

"Thanks for the lift and tell Jasper to take the car back to your house. I don't want it getting messed up," I say.

"Already done," Edward says, hugging me.

I pull away from him and he looks over at Paul.

"Keep an eye on her. She's been throwing up all night," he says.

"We will."

Edward nods again before shooting me a wink and getting back into his car. Once he's gone Paul throws an arm over my shoulder.

"Let's get you back to Sam's, gorgeous."

We head back to Sam's as my stomach finally feels like it has stopped turning.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

{Chapter Fifteen} 

I wake up to the sound of my phone ringing like a madman. Wiping the sleep from my eyes, I hit the answer button.  
"Hello?"  
"We found him," Emmett says.  
"You did?"  
"Yeah. It took freaking forever because the guy is like a nomad or something, but we finally tracked him down. Well, actually he found us. He's here at the house and wants to talk to you before we go any further with anything," Emmett says.  
"Alright, I"m on my way."  
I shoot up out of bed and grab a pair of jeans, a tee shirt, and a jacket, before grabbing a pair of shoes. I am stumbling down the stairs, trying to put my shoes on when I crash into Seth.  
"Hey beautiful, what's the rush?"  
"Emmett just called, he and Carlisle found the nomad. He's waiting at their house for me."  
Seth quickly pulls the shirt that's in his hand over his hand and pulls his keys out of his pocket. He follows me downstairs and into the dining room where Paul is drinking a cup of coffee.  
"Where are you two lovebirds going so early?" Paul asks.  
"To Dr. Cullen's house. He wants to check on Mia's progress as a vampire."  
Paul glances over his shoulder at the clock that blatantly reads 7 a.m. and laughs.  
"I get it. You don't have to tell me that you two are going somewhere with a little more privacy," he says.  
He wiggles his eyebrows at us and Seth shakes his head.  
"It's not like that Paul," Seth says.  
"Sure, it's not. It's 7 a.m. No one is up at 7 a.m. unless they have no choice."  
"Seth, we don't have time for this," I say.  
He nods as I lead the way out the door.  
"Use protection you two. I'm too young to be an uncle," Paul calls out.  
The scarlet color that rises on our cheeks is bright on our skin. We try to ignore his comment and the laughter that follows it.  
It takes us less than twenty minutes to get to the reserve to the Cullen's house. When we get there we find Edward waiting for us on the front steps when we get there.  
"Carlise is in the living room."  
Edward leads us into the living room and I am almost blown away by the new guy. I thought I was used to seeing unrealistically beautiful people living with the Cullens, but this guy was some kind of Greek Adonis. His eyes are a bright gold color like the stone topaz only five times brighter. His long ombre colored hair falls to his shoulders and I can't help but follow the movement of his hand as he runs his hand through his hair to get it out of his face. His beard is well kept and a dark brown color. He's wearing dark wash jeans and a plain white tee shirt under a light jacket. On his feet are what looks like a serious pair of biker boots.  
"You must be Mia," he says.  
He smiles at me and it lights up his whole face. I can't help the blush that rises to my cheeks at his smile. He gives a light laugh that can only be described as musical and I quickly gather myself.  
"Yes, and you are..."  
"Kai Marcano."  
He puts out his hand to shake and I grab it as Gabriel walks through the door. He freezes when he sees Kai before a smile breaks out on his face.  
"Holy shi...Doc, when you said you knew somebody who could help I didn't know you meant this fanged son of a bitch."  
Gabriel comes over and pulls Kai into a hug. Kai laughs before pulling away and looking Gabriel over.  
"You've gotten old," he says.  
"And you haven't," Gabriel laughs.  
They hug each other again and Kai gestures to Carlisle.  
"How are you involved with the good doctor?" he asks.  
Gabriel nods in my direction.  
"My daughter."  
Kai's jaw hits the floor and he laughs before clapping Gabriel on the shoulder.  
"It seems you and I have a lot to catch up on, my old friend."  
Gabriel laughs, "you have no idea, Marcano."  
"Marcano? That's Italian right?" I ask.  
Kai turns back to me and smiles, "Si. Parli italiano?"  
"Mio padre mi ha fatto imparare quando ero piu giovane," I say.  
"Ahh, non sapevo che Gabriel e stato in grado di imparare un'altra lingua che non e i suoni che fa un cane," he laughs.  
"Lui capisce abbastanza per essere in grado di calci in culo per averlo chiamato un cane," Gabriel says with a playful smile.  
Kai laughs before clapping Gabriel on the shoulder again, "of course. How dare I insult the great Gabriel Wolfe. I shall run home and tremble in fear."  
He winks at me and I laugh as he turns toward Seth.  
"And who is this young wolf?"  
Seth sticks out his hand for Kai to shake.  
"Seth Clearwater."  
Kai looks between Seth and me before looking over at Gabriel, who just nods his head.  
"I assume you are treating young Mia with the respect and love she deserves?" Kai asks.  
Seth nods, "always."  
Kai nods, "good."  
Carlisle clears his throat to steer the conversation back on topic.  
"Thank you again for coming Kai," Carlisle says.  
Kai waves away Carlisle's thanks, "anything for a friend. Now, shall we get started?"  
"Sure," I say.  
Kai gestures to an empty chair and I sit down. He sits down in the chair in front of me before addressing the others.  
"I am going to request that Gabriel and Seth leave the room," he says.  
"What? Why?" Seth asks.  
"Because what I am about to do is going to be extremely painful for Mia and if you love her as much as I think you do then you will want to protect her."  
"But..."  
Gabriel puts a hand on Seth's shoulder, "he's right."  
Gabriel nods at Kai, "we will be outside."  
Gabriel leads Seth out the door followed by Emmett and Edward. Jasper takes the chair next to me and I look over at him.  
"You're not going to leave too?"  
He shakes his head, "Carlisle thinks I will be able to help keep you calm."  
I nod before taking a deep breath as Kai focuses back on me.  
"I will not lie to you, Mia. What I have to do will be extremely painful for you."  
"I can handle it," I say.  
Kai smiles softly, "I truly hope you can."  
His gaze meets mine and his hand cups my face before he takes a deep breath before he whispers one single word.  
"Aperto."  
Pain sears my insides like a raging fire burning a forest. I'm in more pain than I ever imagined possible. It increases in waves and each peak robs me of my ability to speak, to make it stop. It dominates my every thought. All I can do is wait for it to end. A small whimper makes its way from my lips as the next wave crashes down over me, pulling me under. My thoughts are ransacked by a burning light and I cry out as it burns through me. Darkness battles the light in a swirling torrent of fire. It's like my blood is fire itself, intent on destroying me from the inside out. Suddenly, the pain stops. The fire stops raging and all I am left with is a dull throbbing. I can hear the voices around me filled with concern.  
"Mia? Open your eyes."  
I open my eyes to find myself looking at Kai, a small frown on his face.  
"What happened?" I croak.  
He shakes his head before handing me a glass of water, "drink."  
I gratefully take the glass from him as he walks over to Carlisle and gestures outside to where Gabriel is waiting. The two of them go outside and I turn to look at Jasper, who has his head in his hands.  
"Jasp, you okay?" I ask.  
His shoulders move as if he has just taken a deep breath. He looks up at me, his eyes shiny with tears.  
"How...how do you stand it?" he asks.  
"Stand what?"  
"The...the fear. The pain. Everything. I just..."  
He is suddenly on his feet and he pulls me into a bone-crushing hug.  
"I swear to you that you will never have to live in fear again. We're going to stop Asher."  
"I know, Jasper."  
We stay like that a few minutes before Seth walks in, one eyebrow raised. He looks over at Jasper.  
"You okay, man?"  
Jasper looks over at me and I nod, letting him know that I'm okay.  
"I will be. I'm going to find Alice."  
He heads upstairs and Seth pulls me into a hug, placing a kiss on my forehead.  
"And what about you, gorgeous? You okay?"  
"I think so. I'm not really sure what happened? What are they talking about out there?" I ask, gesturing outside.  
Seth shrugs, "no idea. I went for a run while you were inside."  
I raise an eyebrow at him and he shrugs again.  
"Gabriel suggested it as a way to keep me busy. I told you what we have is a whole lot more than just two kids crazy in love. Just thinking of somebody hurting you makes me want to punch something."  
"Kai was helping me."  
"Not without hurting you."  
I wrap both my arms around Seth and rest my head on his chest. It takes a minute, but the tension leaves Seth and he wraps his arms around me.  
"I just don't like thinking about you in pain."  
"I know, but if it helps get Asher out of my head then it's worth it."  
Seth sighs, "I guess so."  
Gabriel, Carlisle, and Kai all come back in after a few minutes and Kai returns to his seat.  
"So, can you help me?"  
Kai sighs before shaking his head, "I don't know."  
I can't help the confusion that makes it way on my face and Kai holds up a hand to stop me from speaking.  
"But I am willing to try. However, I feel I must warn you that the process will not be an easy one. It will be painful."  
"I can handle it."  
"I hope so, young Mia. For now, rest. We can continue tomorrow if you want."  
"Why can't we continue now?" I ask.  
"Because your mind has already been through enough. To continue now would possibly cause brain damage and even if you are willing to risk it, I am not. You are my friend's daughter and I promised him to try to do everything I can to help you, but I will not risk your life," Kai says.  
I nod, "I understand."  
"Good. I will see you soon. Stay safe."  
He places a kiss on my cheek and he and Carlisle head to Carlisle's office. I look over at Gabriel, who is watching me.  
"You do know that you are totally going to have to tell me the story about how you became friends with an Italian vampire, right?"  
Gabriel laughs, "I'm surprised it took you this long to ask."  
I shrug, "I wanted to give you time to make the story interesting."  
He laughs again before shaking his head, "you kids up for a little breakfast? Your grandmother wants us to have a little breakfast get together. She also requested the presence of Seth."  
Seth looks shocked, "me? Why me?"  
"Probably because you're dating her granddaughter and she has yet to have the opportunity to formally question you and your intentions."  
"But...but..."  
I kiss Seth on the cheek, "you'll be fine. It's only Rose and you once said she liked you."  
"That was before I started dating you. She could hate me now."  
I laugh, "I doubt she hates you. Rose can't hate anybody, she's physically incapable of it."  
Gabriel shrugs, "I guess we'll find out."  
We all head out the door and I prepare myself for what might be the most awkward meal I've ever had.

 **Author's Note: Guys, you have no idea how excited about this chapter I was because you finally got to meet Kai! Kai is one of my favorite characters and he is actually based on a real person, that many of you should know due to his latest film recently coming out. Anyway, I hope you guys like this chapter. I plan on doing another Q &A type thing soon, so if you have any questions let me know! Happy reading!-Jess**


	16. Announcement

**Hey guys!**

 **So I decided that I wasn't going to do a Q &A until the end of the book. The good news is that we are actually already halfway there! Anyway, with that being said I am taking questions now, so send in your questions. When I say questions I mean anything you are just burning to know! Anyways, happy reading!**

 **Jess**


	17. Chapter Sixteen

{Chapter Sixteen}

I look on in amazement at the mountain of food that sits on Rose's table. Rose has cooked enough food to feed three full armies.

"Rose, don't you think you cooked too much?" I ask.

She waves her hand, "nonsense. I'm feeding grown werewolf men. There is no such thing as too much food."

Seth sits down in a chair and grabs a plate, "this is what heaven looks like."

I laugh before grabbing the chair next to Seth as Gabriel grabs the seat across from me.

"So... where's Hunter? Too afraid to face his own family at the dinner table?" Gabriel asks.

Rose is silent and Gabriel looks over at her, his smile fading.

"Mom?"

She walks over to the counter before grabbing an envelope and placing it in front of Gabriel.

"What's this?" he asks.

Rose just silently takes her seat as Gabriel opens the envelope. Inside it are several pieces of paper. Gabriel reads what the first says out loud.

 _Congrats brother,_

 _You win._

 _-Hunter._

"What's this mean?" Gabriel asks Rose.

"The next page."

He turns to the second page and looks up at me.

"He signed them."

"Signed what?" I ask.

"The paper giving away his rights."

"What? That's not possible. This is Hunter Wolfe we're talking about. He would never..."

The end of my sentence falls off as Gabriel holds the paper out. There sitting on the dotted line is Hunter's signature. He had actually done it. He signed away his rights. Instead of fighting for me, he gave up.

"Mia..." Seth starts.

I hold up at hand to stop him.

"No. No. I'm fine... I'm fine. It's fine."

"Little Wolf..."

"I'm fine. I didn't..."

I take a deep breath, "I didn't warn him to win anyway, so it doesn't matter."

"Mia, it's okay to be upset. The man was known to you as your father, you can be upset about this," Seth says.

"I'm not... I'm not upset. This is what I wanted so let's just have a nice brunch, okay? Rose cooked all this amazing food and we shouldn't let it all go to waste."

Everyone is silently watching me as I grab a couple of pancakes from the plate in front of me. I grab my fork and clutch it in my hand as my shoulders start to shake as I try to breathe against the crying. Dropping the fork on the table, my hands come up to cover my face as the sobs rack my body. I hear the scraping of a chair against the floor before I bury my head in Gabriel's chest.

"I know, Little Wolf."

"Why doesn't he want me?" I cry.

Gabriel pulls away, cupping my face.

"If he doesn't want you then that's his loss. You are amazing Mia and any man on the planet would be lucky to call themselves your father, I know I am. If Hunter doesn't want to be a part of that, well then screw him. You'll make him regret it sooner or later."

He uses his thumb to wipe away my tears and I sniffle before taking the napkin that Seth is holding out.

"He's right, Mia. Hunter isn't worth your tears," Seth says.

I nod as Gabriel moves and Rose pulls me into a hug.

"I know it hurts sweetheart, but not knowing you is going to be the biggest mistake he ever made."

I pull away from Rose after a minute and look around the table.

"Thanks, guys."

They all smile at me before Rose gestures to the food.

"Now, everybody dig in. All this food isn't going to eat itself."

"You don't have to tell me twice," Seth says.

I laugh and pile food onto my own plate as Rose hands out glasses of orange juice.

"So, dad...let's hear it," I say.

Gabriel raises an eyebrow up at me, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Hear what?"

"The incredible story of you and Kai Marcano. How did the great alpha that is Gabriel Wolfe meet and become friends with a vampire?" I ask.

Gabriel shakes his head and smiles before taking another sip from his coffee.

"That Little Wolf is a secret that I will take to my grave," he says.

"Come on, you have to tell me."

Gabriel shakes his head again before grabbing a sausage off of the plate in front of him.

"I'll just ask Kai to tell me," I say.

"You can ask, but I can assure you that Kai won't be saying a word about it either," he laughs.

"We'll see," I say.

Gabriel laughs again as Rose sets down another plate of bacon and takes a seat.

"So, Seth?"

Seth looks up at her, his fork halfway to his mouth. He sets his fork down on his plate and clears his throat.

"Yes, Mrs. Wolfe."

Rose waves him away.

"None of that Mrs. Wolfe, nonsense. You've been calling me Rose since you were in diapers."

Seth turns red before nodding.

"It has come to my attention that you and Mia are something of an item now. I just want to know if you Mr. Clearwater, wrap it before you tap it."

Gabriel spits out his coffee and I choke out on the pancake that I'm eating. Seth is fumbling over his words, his face a bright red. Rose's laughter fills the room after a minute and Seth visibly relaxes once he realizes that Rose is just kidding.

"The look on all your faces," she laughs.

Gabriel grabs a napkin from the table and wipes his face as Seth pats me on the back to help dislodge the piece of pancake stuck in my windpipe.

"Not funny, mom," Gabriel says.

"It was hilarious. You about had an aneurysm."

Gabriel shakes his head before tossing the napkin down on his plate and pushing his chair back. He pulls me into a side hug before pressing a kiss to the back of my head.

"I'm going to get out of here before your grandmother gives me a heart attack with her line of questioning."

He leaves and Rose turns her attention back to me and Seth. Seth shifts around awkwardly in his seat.

"Now that your father is gone I can get down to the nitty-gritty," She says.

"That wasn't nitty-gritty?" I ask.

Rose laughs, "not at all sweetheart. Now, how about you take some of the dishes and start making some to-go boxes for the rest of those boys you hang out with. I'm sure Emily would like a break from cooking."

"But..."

"Shoo, shoo," she says, gesturing to the kitchen.

I shrug as Seth sends me a pleading look. I shoot Rose and Seth one last look before grabbing some plates and going into the kitchen.

Setting the plates down on the counter, I try to focus my hearing on their conversation. However, Rose must have figured I would try to eavesdrop because the only thing I can hear is classical music playing on the stereo.

"Dang it," I say.

I reluctantly start making to-go plates for the rest of the guys while I wait for Seth and Rose to finish talking. After a few more minutes Rose walks in with a smile on her face.

"Finished talking?" I ask.

Rose is silent, so I glance over at her and see her staring at me.

"What?" I ask.

She shakes her head, "that boy loves you more than I ever thought possible. You should have seen the way he lit up talking about you."

My face heats up and Rose chuckles before pulling me into a hug.

"Hold onto him. He's a good one."

"I know, thanks for the breakfast."

"Anytime."

I grab the plates I fixed and head out to go find Seth. He is standing by the door, his hands in his pockets.

"Conversation go well?" I ask.

"Yeah. Yeah, it did," he says with a wistful smile on his face.

His gaze is focused on me and I swallow down the lump in my throat when I meet his eyes. He steps forward and takes the bags with the plates in them out of my hands and sets them on the floor. Cupping my face, he presses his forehead to mine.

"How did I get so lucky?" he asks.

"I don't know, let me know when you figure it out," I say.

He laughs before pressing a kiss to my lips and pulling away. Grabbing the bags in one hand, he intertwines my fingers with his.

"Come on, gorgeous. Let's go feed some hungry wolves."


	18. Chapter Seventeen

{Chapter Seventeen}

"Rose is now my new favorite person," Emily says.  
I laugh, "she figured you could use a break from feeding all the guys."  
"She figured right. The boys are eating me out of the house and home."  
Seth and I had gotten back to Sam's in time to stop Emily before she started cooking her usual gigantic breakfast for the guys. Seth had decided to meet the guys on their perimeter run, so I opted to say with Emily and help her reheat some of the food.  
"I can't imagine what it takes to feed all of them," I say.  
Emily shakes her head, "it's not so bad. I just feel like I'm cooking all the time. I'm pretty sure I've fallen asleep with a spatula in my hand more than once."  
I laugh as boys except for Sam walk in the door, fresh from their patrol.  
"If it isn't our favorite hybrid," Jacob says.  
I arch an eyebrow up at him, "I'm the only hybrid you know."  
Jacob rolls his eyes, "just take the compliment."  
I'm about to reply when I'm lifted into the air from behind.  
"How's it going beautiful?" Paul asks.  
"I'm good. How are you?"  
"Better, now that my favorite girl is here."  
He winks at me and Seth shoots him a look. Paul laughs before throwing his arm around my shoulders.  
"Relax Sethy boy, I'm not putting the moves on your girl. She's like a little sister to me."  
Paul bends down to whisper in my ear, keeping one eye on Seth.  
"He gets so jealous of us, doesn't he?"  
I stifle my laughter as Seth rolls his eyes.  
"I'm not jealous."  
"Oh, yeah? Then what would you call it?" Paul laughs.  
"Perhaps he prefers the other name. You know? The green-eyed monster," I laugh.  
"Really, Mia? Betrayed by my own girlfriend, that hurts."  
I laugh again before going to kiss Seth on the cheek. Paul shakes his head, laughing before taking a seat at the table and gesturing to the plates of food.  
"What's all this?" he asks.  
"A gift from Rose. She made breakfast for Seth, Gabriel, and I and sent the leftovers to you guys."  
"Did I just hear that correctly? You said these leftovers are from Rose?" Quil asks.  
"Yep."  
Quil, Embry, Jacob, and Paul immediately grab giant plates of food. Sam walks in right as everyone has settled down in their seats.  
"What's all this?" he asks.  
"A gift from Rose," Emily says.  
He nods before kissing Emily all over her face. She laughs before pushing him off.  
"Enough. Get something to eat."  
He pulls her in for one last kiss before fixing his plate. Embry swallows before speaking to him.  
"Where did you disappear to? We lost you about halfway through the patrol."  
"Meeting with the Elders. I'm trying to convince them that Asher is a real threat," Sam says.  
"And how's that coming?" Jacob asks.  
"I thought it was it was going well until Henry Waters did the same bullshit he pulled on Gabriel to me," Sam says.  
"You're kidding?" I say.  
"Nope. Guy came in and cut my flipping legs out from under me. When I tried to mention that we consider you a member of the pack and that you're also from one of the oldest lines of alpha wolves, he shot me down. Said that you lived in New York most of your life, so you don't have any claim or some shit like that."  
"This guys is unbelievable. What's it going to take for him to believe that Asher is someone that needs to be dealt with?" Seth asks.  
Sam shrugs, "beats me. But from what Gabriel tells me, Waters' son and Asher were really close. When Waters' son died, Asher took care of everything. Maybe he's just trying to protect Asher because he sees him like a second son or something."  
"That's really fucked up. Even if he's like a second son, Waters has to know that his "son" is a psycho murderer who is trying to kill a legacy," Jacob says.  
"We often find ourselves blind to what's right in front of us when it comes to family," Sam says.  
"What I'm hearing is that as long as Henry Waters is involved the Elders aren't going to provide any help dealing with the Asher situation," Seth says.  
"Bingo," Sam says.  
We are all silent for a minute before Embry takes to lighten the mood.  
"Anyone up for some cliff diving?" he asks.  
"Sure, why not? It's been a while since we last went," Jacob says.  
"Paul?" Embry asks.  
"Sure."  
"Seth? Mia? Sam?" Embry asks.  
"I'm in if Emily is going," Sam says.  
Emily's eyes go wide, "me? Go cliff diving with all of you?"  
"Yeah, babe," Sam says.  
"I... but... who..."  
She sighs before shaking her head, "fine."  
"Yes! Now, what about you two?" Embry asks looking over at me and Seth.  
"I'll go," Seth says.  
"I would but I have to practice hunting with Emmett today."  
"Cool, do you mind if I tag along? I've always been curious how vampires hunt," Quil asks.  
"I don't mind but I'll have to check with Emmett and Edward," I say.  
"Then it's settled. We are all going to have a fun-filled day," Embry says.  
"Good. How about once everyone is finished, we all meet up here and have a bonfire and grill out? We haven't had one of those in a while," Sam says.  
Everyone agrees to meet up for the bonfire and we all help clean up before heading out. Quil and I decide to test my new vampire speed by racing to meet Emmett and Edward."  
"You've done this before haven't you?" he asks.  
"I may have raced Seth quite a few times," I say.  
He shakes his head before laughing, "are you sure you want to do this? I'm faster than Seth."  
"Yeah, I need to get used to it and learn how to get faster. The more I practice, the faster I'll get," I say.  
"Alright, give me a minute to get ready."  
He takes off into the trees and I start stretching my legs to get ready to run. After a few minutes, a chocolate brown wolf emerges from the trees.  
"Nice color," I say.  
Quil lets out a low growl and I laugh.  
"I was being polite. Besides, I think the color reflects your sweet personality.  
Quil nudges me with his nose and I push him away.  
"You ready to lose, wolf boy?" I ask.  
Quil shakes his fur before lowering his front half to the ground.  
" _I won't be the one losing."_  
I freeze, looking around in shock.  
"What the hell was that?" I ask.  
Quil looks at me, his head cocked to the side.  
"Did I just hear your thoughts like the rest of you guys do?" I ask.  
" _I don't know. Did you?"_  
I gasp, "holy shit! I did! I heard you! Say something else."  
" _Now she say she gon do what to who? Let's find out and see, Cardi B. You know where I'm at. You know where I'm at . You know where I be. You in the club just to party. I'm there, I get paid a fee. I be in and out them banks so much. I know they're tired of me."_

I look over at him, "really? Cardi B? That's what you chose to think of?"

Quil gives me what I think is a shrug and I shake my head.

"Let's go before you start saying that you don't dance now, you make money moves."

Quil gets back into position and on the count of three the two of us take off into the woods. By the time Quil and I arrive at the Cullen's, Edward and Emmett are already waiting.

"Who's the wolf?" Emmett asks.

"Edward, Emmett, meet Quil. He's curious about how vampires hunt, so I thought he could tag along."

"I don't see why not. It might benefit you to try and catch something that can easily outrun you. Also, I thought it would be a good idea for you to learn some tactics from both myself and Edward. Normally, Carlisle would have one of the girls teach you, but he thinks that you might find mine and Edward's ways of hunting a little more natural than Alice's or Rosalie's," Emmett says.

I nod and Edward gestures to Quil.

"First, I think it would be wise if we all familiarize ourselves with Quil's scent. That way we know what we are tracking. Quil, if I may?"

Quil lowers himself to the ground near Edward steps forward to get his scent. Emmett moves forward also, and I follow, each of us taking a quick sniff of Quil's scent.

"Alright, you got it?" Emmett asks.

"Yeah, I think so," I say.

"Good. Now, Edward and I are going to show you a couple of different techniques that you can use," Emmett says.

Edward and Emmett get help from Quil to show me a couple of different ways to take down my prey and to chase it down. After a few minutes, they send Quil deeper into the forest and ask me to close my eyes.

"Try not to focus on what you can see but rather what you can smell and hear. You have Quil's scent, so see if you can pick it up," Edward says.

"Alright," I say.

I close my eyes and zone out everything around me. A light breeze gently blows, and I turn to face it. Hidden in the breeze is Quil's scent.

"Got it," I say, opening my eyes.

"Good, now go find him," Edward says.

I nod before running off in the direction I first caught Quil's scent. It takes a few more hours of me trying to catch Quil before Edward and Emmett feel like I've actually gotten hunting down.

"Let's try one last time. This time Quil, we want you to fight back. Try to escape Mia by doing more than just running," Emmett says.

Quil nods before taking off deep into the forest again. This time I leave my eyes open, only focusing on the sound of Quil's paws hitting the ground. I also focus on his scent, after a few minutes Edward nods his head and I take off into the forest after Quil.


	19. Chapter Eighteen

{Chapter Eighteen)

I rub my newly sore shoulder before looking over at Quil, who is now back to his human self.  
"Did you have to hit me so hard?" I ask.  
He shrugs, "sorry. They said to fight back."  
Emmett laughs, "I can't believe you chucked her into a tree."  
"It's not funny," I say.  
"It's pretty funny," Edward says.  
"Whatever. Next time you won't get so lucky," I say.  
Quil chuckles, "whatever you say, Wolfe. I'm down to go another round whenever you want."  
Edward shakes his head, "calm down you two. Both of you did great today. Quil, thanks for your help."  
"No problem, man. It was cool to see how you guys do things. Mia, if we want to get back to the reserve before the bonfire then we better head out."  
I nod, "sure. We'll take my car."  
We say goodbye to Edward and Emmett and I lead Quil into the garage. When we stop in front of my car, Quil's mouth hits the floor.  
"This is your car?"  
I hit the button to unlock the door, "yeah. It was a gift from Carlisle and Esme."  
"This is a gift? For what?" he asks.  
I shrug, "I don't know. I guess to make me feel like a part of the family."  
Quil shakes his head, "It pays to be a vampire."  
"That it does, my friend. That it does."  
We get into the car and I pull out of the garage as we make our way back to the reserve. When we pull up, Quil sits in his seat in disbelief.  
"Quil, you okay?"  
"It's like riding on a cloud," he whispers.  
I laugh before pushing my door open.  
"It's just a car, Quil."  
He shakes his head and steps out, "It's so much more than a car."  
"You're right. It is so much more than just a car," I laugh.  
We head around the side of the house and find everyone in the backyard, laughing and carrying on.  
"What's this? You guys started the party without us?" Quil asks.  
"Never, dude. We all know the party doesn't start until MC Master Quil arrives," Embry laughs.  
"You know it, dude," Quil says.  
I roll my eyes, "you two are idiots."  
"Yes, but we're your idiots," Embry says.  
I shake my head and Embry laughs before nodding his head over towards the beach.  
"Seth is down there with Jacob getting the beach ready for the bonfire."  
"Thanks," I say.  
"Anytime."br /I make my way down the beach to where Jacob and Seth are gathering wood and setting it up in a makeshift fire pit. Jacob is rearranging a couple pieces of wood, while Seth is making sure that nothing else falls. I sneak up on Seth before wrapping my arms around him from behind.  
"Hiya, handsome."  
Seth laughs before turning around and kissing me lightly on the lips. He brushes a few hairs out of my face.  
"Hey, gorgeous. How was hunting practice with Emmett and Quil?" he asks.  
"Good. Emmett brought along Edward to teach me a couple of different techniques and Quil was really helpful."  
"Nice, maybe next time I'll join you guys."  
"Sounds good to me. How's the bonfire set up coming along?" I ask.  
Seth nods towards Jacob, " Mr. Perfection over there took over about a half hour in."  
We watch as Jacob walks around the fire pit talking to himself.  
"Hey, Jake! You need any help?" I call out.  
He looks up before smiling at me.  
"Sure. You two lovebirds can go and grab me some more wood. I need a couple more pieces to fill some empty spots."  
"You got it, hoss," Seth says.  
Seth and I intertwine our fingers before walking off into the woods together. We are not even five feet in before Seth pulls me towards him and presses his lips to mine. I pull away after a few minutes before arching an eyebrow up at him.  
"What was that for?" I ask.  
Seth shrugs, "just felt like kissing you."  
I smile as my fingers play with the hair on the back of Seth's neck. His thumb traces patterns on my hip as he pulls me even closer, his lips brushing mine.  
"You gonna kiss me or..."  
Before I can finish, Seth's lips are pressed firmly to mine. Seth's hands slip from my waist and up to my hair as a light growl leaves his throat. In less than thirty seconds, Seth has his hands out of my hair and under my legs, lifting me up. My legs wrap around his waist as he presses me back into a tree. His lips move from mine and trace a path down my neck before returning to my lips. His hands cup my back and we pull away long enough for Seth's shirt to hit the forest floor. I run my fingers up his stomach as his lips press onto mine. We are soon interrupted by Jacob loudly clearing his throat.  
"Seriously, guys? I send you to get firewood and find you making out against a tree in the middle of the woods."  
Seth drops me and picks his shirt up off the ground.  
"You could have just stayed on the beach," Seth says.  
"It's been like five minutes. I wanted to know what was taking you two so long, I should have known," Jacob says.  
Seth slips his shirt back on before flipping Jacob the bird. Jacob laughs before shaking his head.  
"Just go grab some more wood and since I can't trust the two of you to stay on task...Mia, you're with me."  
"But..." Seth says.  
"No, buts. Let's go. Sam says the food is almost ready, so we need to have the bonfire set up before then."  
Seth looks at me and I shrug before following Jacob back out onto the beach. When we get there Jacob has me help grab some of the bigger logs and rearrange them around the fire pit so that everyone has a place to sit. Once we're finished with that, Seth returns with some more firewood.  
"Where do you want this?" he asks.  
Jacob gestures to the other side of the firepit, "over there."  
Seth sets the pile down and Jacob picks up a few pieces to add them to the pit.  
"Guys! Food's done!" Emily calls out.  
"Awesome, let's go eat guys," Jacob says.  
He leads the way back up the beach as Seth intertwines our fingers before leading me up the beach.  
 _The_ _surge of possessiveness that shot through him watching the two of them together was unlike anything he had ever felt. When would she understand that she belonged to him, not that insolate little_ _pup._ _He growls in frustration before snapping another photo for his collection. He had thought that she understood when he had shared his mind with her. Thought that she would share his vision for their future. Instead, she betrayed him. Tried to sever their connection with that pain in the ass Kai. He wouldn't let her though, he will do whatever it takes. First though, first he had to come up with a plan. One that would rip away everyone she has ever cared about and finally make her see that he is only one for her._


	20. Chapter Nineteen

(Chapter Nineteen)

After a delicious meal, we all head back to the beach to start the bonfire. Sam lights the wood and we all grab seats on the surrounding logs. Seth takes a seat to my right while Quil grabs a seat to my left. Sam tosses a few more pieces of wood into the fire before taking a seat next to Emily.

"Anyone got any scary stories they want to share?" Quil asks.

"You mean besides the story of how your dad convinced your mother to sleep with him and create you?" Paul laughs.

Quil throws a rock at Paul, who catches it before tossing it over his shoulder.

"Don't get your ass kicked, Paul," Quil says.

"Bring it, Quil."

Quil stands up, "alright. You asked for it though."

Quil takes a running tackle at Paul who falls backward off the log after Quil hits him. Quil puts one foot on the log and flexes his muscles.

"And that's how it's done," he laughs.

We all laugh as Paul looks up at Quil from his spot on the ground. He shakes his head before standing up and dusting himself off.

"Just wait. You'll get what's coming to you," he says.

"Sure I will, Pauly boy. Sure I will," Quil says.

They sit back down and once we all settle, Jacob looks over at Sam.

"How about the Quileute werewolf origin story? I don't think Mia has heard that one."

I shake my head, "I haven't."

Sam shakes his head, "it really is astounding how in the dark you are about your own people."

I shrug, "my family is complicated."

Seth rolls his eyes, "you can say that again."

Sam clears his throat, "alright. Origin story it is, so Mia can at least know how we and she started."

"This is going to be good," Embry says.

"Embry, you already know the story," Seth says.

"So, that means I can't get excited to hear it again? Now shut up, Sam is starting."

Sam leans forward a little and we all follow suit.

"Legend says that there was once a great spirit warrior called Utlapa. Corrupted by the power that flowed through his veins, he wanted to enslave the neighboring tribes of the Hohs and Makahs. Unwilling to use the spirit warriors' power for such a purpose, Utlapa's chief Taha Aki banished him from the tribe. However, Utlapa only became further corrupted and enraged. One day, while Taha Aki was in the spirit world searching for anything that would pose a threat to his tribe, Utlapa possessed his body. He then cut his own body's throat to prevent Taha Aki from returning. Thus, banishing Taha Aki to spend the rest of his days in the spirit world and forcing him to watch as Utlapa did horrible things to his people. One day while Taha Aki was wandering the spirit world he encountered a large, beautiful wolf. An idea some formed and he asked the wolf to share his body with him, the wolf agreed. Once again provided with a physical form, Taha Aki rushed to the village and when he encountered a party of warriors, he began yelping Quileute songs. One of the warriors, an elderly man by the name of Yut realized that the wolf was under a spirit's control. Yut then disobeyed Utlapa's orders to not enter the spirit world and left his body to talk to the beast. Utlapa, fearing that his treachery would be discovered, killed Yut. Taha Aki became enraged and lunged to kill Utlapa. However, his emotions were too much for the wolf and it transformed into the magnificent flesh of Taha Aki's spirit. Utlapa was soon killed and Taha Aki set thing right once again with the tribe. From then on the descendants of Taha Aki take the form of a wolf when confronted with the scent of someone or something they feel will threaten their tribe."

"Holy crap, " I say.

"I know right. Crazy stuff," Embry says.

"That is freaking badass," I say.

Sam laughs, "glad you think so considering it's your history."

"So theoretically speaking...would I be able to wolf out?" I ask.

Everyone goes silent before Sam clears his throat.

"Theoretically, we don't know. The only woman we've ever known to wolf out so to speak is Leah. Since you're from a long line of alphas, you should be able to. However, the whole wolf-vampire hybrid thing is new territory for us, so we aren't sure how it would work," he says.

"What if I just tried to do it?" I ask.

Seth shakes his head, "It doesn't work like that, gorgeous. We only turn at will after our first turn and your first turn has to be triggered by something you feel threatened by or feel threatens the res."

"So, what were all of your triggers?" I ask.

"The Cullens," Embry says.

"Like their scent or something?" I ask.

"Yeah, that plus a few other vampires that came into the area for a bit," Quil says.

"Well, that won't work for me since I find the Cullens to be a threat. What about Asher? I see Asher as a threat, so why haven't I turned?"

Sam shrugs, "I don't know. You should have turned when first confronted with Asher. If not then, then definitely after you attacked us when he threatened Seth. It could be that the vampire part of you is repressing the wolf part."

I frown, "that sucks. I wanted to wolf out on somebody."

Seth laughs and kisses the side of my head, "don't worry, gorgeous. You are still a force to be reckoned with even if you can't turn into a wolf."

"I know, but it would have been so much cooler if I could go all wolf on somebody's ass."

"Maybe we can do some research into it and see if it has to be triggered in a special way or something. After all, Asher is able to turn into a wolf," Embry says.

"That's right. When he attacked me in the road, he was a wolf," I say.

"Well, there you go. We just have to figure out how to bring your inner wolf out," Jacob says.

"How do we do that?" I ask.

Paul smiles at me," I have a few ideas."

"I don't like that look. That look usually means that Paul is up to something and it's not good," Quil says.

Paul waves him away, "It'll be fine. Come on, Mia."

Paul gets up and holds out a hand which I take after a short look after a short look at everyone. He leads me further down the beach with all the guys following behind us.

"What are you up to Paul?" Jacob asks.

"You'll see!"

Paul stops and turns around to face me.

"Alright. You stand here and I'll be right back."

"Wha..."

Paul takes off into the forest and I look back at the rest of the guys. They all shrug and Emily smiles encouragingly at me.

"Where did he go?" Quil asks.

Before I can answer him, a giant wolf comes barreling out of the woods and runs into me. It sends me flying almost twenty feet down the beach.

"What the hell, Paul?" Seth yells coming after me.

I slowly get back up and brush myself off. I hold up a hand to stop Seth in his tracks.

"What. The. Hell. Lahote."

 _"You have to get angry. Really angry. You want to be a wolf then this is the way to do it."_

"Tackling me twenty feet into the air is the way to do it?" I growl out.

Everyone except Quil freezes for the second time that night.

"Did you just... can you hear him?" Jacob asks.

I nod, "yeah. Quil and I discovered that I can hear you guys when you direct your thoughts at me."

Sam looks over at Quil, "and you didn't share this with the rest of the group because..."

Quil shrugs "didn't seem that important. We call all do it and she's one of us, so I figured it wasn't that big a deal."

Sam shakes his head and sighs before mumbling something under his breath.

" _Can we focus here? I'm trying to help our girl wolf out."_

"It's not going to work, Paul," I say.

" _It will."_

"It..."

Paul runs at me again and this time I crash into a tree at the edge of the forest.

" _Protect yourself. Get angry."_

"Paul..."

He hits me again before I can finish my sentence and this time I have to wipe the blood from the corner of my mouth.

" _Protect yourself."_

This time when I get back up and wipe my mouth, I'm pissed. This time when Paul tries to tackle me, I meet him halfway and send both of us flying back into the tree.

" _I take it you're pissed."_

I only growl in response as Paul gets back to his feet and bares his teeth at me.

 _"Now, it's getting good. Bring it, hybrid. Show me what you got."_

I charge at Paul and he easily dodges out of the way.

 _"You're going to have to be faster than that to catch me, Wolfe."_

I run at him again and he dodges again.

"Hey, Mia!"

I look over at Quil and he smiles at me, "hunt."

I cock my head at Quil, not sure what he means before it hits me. Instead of trying to fight Paul, I'll hunt him. Paul circles around me and before he can get any closer I take off into the woods.

" _What the..."_

Before Paul can figure out what I'm doing I hit him like a lion taking down a zebra. He hits the ground and I pin him down.

"Give?" I ask.

Paul gives me what I assume is a sigh.

 _"Give."_

I let him up as Quil whoops from the sidelines. Paul disappears into the trees for a few seconds before coming back out. Rubbing his ribs, he shoots me a look.

"Did you have to hit me so hard?"

I shrug, "you said to show you what I got."

"Yeah, show me what you got. Not break my ribcage with one hit."

I laugh, "you'll be fine. You've got super werewolf healing besides I barely hit you."

Paul scoffs in disbelief, "you barely hit me? You barely hit me? Do you call that barely hitting someone? What do you call actually hitting someone?"

I arch an eyebrow up at him,  
"annihilation."

The rest of the guys laugh as Paul just looks at me before shaking his head. Quil smiles at me before giving me a high five.

"That was badass. A whole lot better than earlier and I got to watch someone beat the crap out of Paul."

I laugh, "I did enjoy beating up Paul."

"You didn't beat me up. You tackled me like a freaking rhino taking down some animal who accidentally wandered into its territory."

"Actually, I believe the reference Edward used earlier was like a lion taking down its' prey," Quil says.

Paul rolls his eyes, "well excuse me for not knowing the correct analogy for what happened to my ribcage."

I laugh again, "really though. Are you going to be okay?"

Paul waves me off, "I'm fine. The only thing bruised is my ego."

"And your pride," Quil laughs.

"That's it, you little..."

Quil takes off and Paul chases after him, trying to grab him. Sam walks up to me and shakes his head.

"Those two. I swear you would think they're actual brothers the way they go after one another. What you did out there was impressive, Mia. Not a lot of people can take down Paul."

"Thanks. If you want I can teach you how to do it, so you can kick his ass too."

Sam laughs, "I already kick his ass, but I wouldn't mind learning a new trick."

We watch as Paul continues to chase Quil until he catches him. He forces Quil into a headlock and gives him a noogie. By the time everyone settles down and heads back to the fire pit since it's getting late, we decide to call it a night.

"Quil and Jacob, you guys have early morning patrol tomorrow," Sam says.

Quil and Jacob groan.

"Come on, man. We had early morning last week," Quil says.

Sam arches an eyebrow at him and Quil holds up his hands in defeat.

"And we will gladly have it this week too, oh great and powerful leader," Quil says.

Sam shakes his head, "just make sure that you do it. I don't want Asher slipping through because we weren't vigilant."

"Sir, yes sir," Quil says.

He and Jacob head home followed by Paul and Embry. Sam turns towards me, his arms thrown over Emily's shoulder.

"Mia, you are welcomed to stay the night if you want."

I nod and he and Emily head inside, leaving just me and Seth.

"I guess I should head out too," Seth says.

I give him a gentle kiss and back away but not before Seth wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me back to him. He presses another kiss to my lips and smiles.

"What time do you want to head to the Cullens tomorrow?" he asks.

"About that... I think it's best if you don't come with me tomorrow," I say.

Seth freezes before pulling away to look at me.

"You're kidding, right?"

I shake my head, "I wish I was, but Kai thinks it's for the best if you and Gabriel are not there. He knows about our connection and thinks you and Gabriel won't be able to stop yourself from jumping into action if you feel like I'm in danger."

Seth releases my waist and runs a hand through his hair, "and Gabriel agreed to this?"

"Yes."

Seth looks at me before sighing, "if Gabriel is okay with it then I guess I can be too. Just... just be careful and don't push yourself too hard. Tell them if you need a break or something."

I kiss Seth gently on the lips again, "I promise I will be as safe as I possibly can."

"That's all I ask."

He kisses me one last time before heading home for the night. I take one last glance at the beach before heading inside.

 _He watches from the shadows as they have their fun. Soon their fun is going to come to an end. Their whole world is going to come to an end. He watches her with a hunger he has never felt before. Soon, she would be his whether she wants to be or not. Tomorrow the first part of his plan goes into action but first, he has to set the stage._

 **Author's Note: Hey everyone,**

 **So this chapter is a little bit on the lighter side of things. I figured it is important to have nice, little moments like these. Anyway, since we are a little more than halfway through the story, I figured I would to another little Q &A session. So, with that being said, shoot me your questions! Send a message, leave them in a review, email me at jrice07201996 , or jrice1996 , message me on Tumblr or twitter jjchantill. I look forward to your questions! All the love and happy reading-**

 **Jess**


	21. Chapter Twenty

{Chapter Twenty}

Time trickles by slowly, each tick of the clock a reminder of much less time I have to sleep. Insomnia has spent a lot of time haunting me. Where there should be dreams, there is only the blackness of my eyelids. I lie as if asleep until pain shoots up my side, forcing me to shift to my back. I suspect that it is closer to dawn then I would like it to be, but I refuse to look at the clock. Looking at the clock and seeing those angry red numbers staring back at me will only make my insomnia worse. Daylight breaks through the cracks of my blind and I groan in frustration before tossing the covers off. Resolving myself to a day of fatigue, I head to the shower to attempt to wash away some of the grogginess. Staring in the mirror, it is easy to see the dark circles under my eyes. It's easy to see how much Asher has plagued my thoughts with his own dark, twisted musings. I wash my face before dressing in a pair of rolled cuff jeans, a grey tee shirt, and a matching flannel shirt. I finish the look by slipping on a pair of my favourite ankle boots. Feeling as ready as I can be, I head downstairs for a much-needed cup of coffee. I find the dining room enveloped in tense silence as Sam paces the floor. Quil and Jacob are staring at him, both of their shoulders tense.

"Are you sure it was Asher?" Sam asks.  
I freeze, Asher's name sending an involuntary shiver down my spine. Grabbing my coffee, I take a seat next to Jacob.  
"Without a doubt, I have the guy's scent ingrained in my nose," Jacob says.  
"Same here, but his trail is not all we found Sam," Quil says.  
"What do you mean?" Sam asks.  
Jacob and Quil share a look before Quil clears his throat.  
"There was a...there was a body, Sam. A girl. She looked about our age and she was completely drained of blood," Quil says.  
Sam's face flashes a million different emotions before settling on rage. Anger rolls off of him in thick waves as he slams his fist into the nearest wall.  
"Damn it!"  
Jacob, Quil, and I flinch.  
"Sam, what do you want us to do?" Jacob asks.  
Sam runs his hand over his short hair, shaking his head. He takes a deep breath, clenching and unclenching his fist. It takes a minute before he is able to address Jacob and Quil.  
"Call the others. This psycho has crossed our borders for the last damn time. He is going to ever regret messing with us. Mia..."  
I pull the coffee cup away from my lips, my gaze meeting Sam's.  
"Head to the Cullen's. I want you to get out from under this guy as soon as possible."  
I nod, "I'll head there now."  
I almost halfway out the door before Sam stops me, a hand on my shoulder.  
"Be safe out there, Mia."  
"I will, you guys be safe out there too."  
Sam gives my shoulder a gentle squeeze before turning back towards the boys. I nod at Jacob and Quil, who smile at me reassuringly. Taking one last look at them, I climb into my car and take off to the Cullen's. Along the way, Seth calls me to tell me that the pack has picked up on Asher's trail again and are heading out. I make him promise that he'll come back in one piece before pulling up the Cullen's house. Jasper is waiting out on the front steps, his face a mask of calm.  
"You ready for this?" he asks.  
"As I'll ever be. What about you? Are you staying this time too?"  
He nods, "I will. However, I don't think that either one of us is as ready as we wish to be for what is about to happen."  
"You're probably right. Where are the others?" I ask.  
"Edward is with Bella, as usual. Emmett and Rosalie are on a camping trip, something about a couple that hunts together stays together. I believe Esme is in the kitchen trying to keep Alice occupied and Carlisle is waiting in his office with Kai."  
I nod and take a deep breath. A look of shock breaks out on my face as Jasper takes my hand.  
"Everything is going to be fine, Mia."  
He squeezes my hand as an overwhelming sense of calm fills me. I know that it is Jasper, trying to help me calm my nerves.  
"Thanks, Jasp."  
We head inside to Carlisle's office and Kai immediately stands up and kisses my hand.  
"How are you feeling, Mio amore?"  
"Nervous," I say.  
"As am I. This... this is something I have never done before," Kai says.  
"But it will work, right?"  
"I don't know, Mio amore. However, I am willing to try if you are."  
I nod, unsure if I can trust my voice anymore. Kai leads me into a chair and takes a seat across from me. Before leaving, Carlisle places a reassuring hand on my shoulder.  
"Good luck, Mia."  
Jasper takes the chair next to me, his eyes closed as if he is mentally preparing himself for what's about to happen.  
"Before we begin, I feel that I should explain what is about to happen. As I said before, what I am attempting to do I have never done before. Breaking another's compulsion is a very difficult task, one that will be extremely painful. How painful this process will be, depends on how much of a hold Asher's compulsion has on you. I cannot promise success. My plan as it stands is to open your mind to mine and find the exact moment that Asher compelled you. Once I find it, I am hoping that I can compel you to forget it. Jasper, while I am grateful you are here to help keep Mia calm, I feel I should warn you that you are also going to experience great pain. Everything Mia feels, you will feel."  
"I know, I can handle it," Jasper says.  
"I truly hope that you can, my friend. Mia, if at any point I feel that it is too much for you or that you are in danger of being permanently harmed, I will stop and not continue."  
"But..."  
"I will not put your life in danger, Mia. I promised Gabriel and Carlisle that I would help you in any way that I can, but I will not put your life at risk for that promise."  
"Fair enough."  
Kai nods, "good. Now close your eyes, Mio amore. Try to relax."  
Jasper's hand squeezes mine and I close my eyes. I feel Kai move closer to me before he whispers.  
" _Ricorda."_  
Suddenly I am plunged back into the memories of that day. I can smell the copper scent of blood, see the picture of all the girls that Asher slaughtered. Each scene is like a knife to the gut, twisting deeper and deeper. Every memory is like a wave of pain crashing down, dragging me under until I am surrounded by nothing but darkness. Just when I feel as though I am going to drown, the pain stops and the scene changes. Instead of being in the warehouse with Asher, I am surrounded by greenery. I can't move an inch without a plant touching me. The silence is deafening. Making my way deeper and deeper into the forest, the silence only grows more profound. When I hear a tree branch snap and I freeze. I wait for the sound of footfalls, but nothing comes. Then suddenly, a growl shakes the very forest floor causing me to stumble. My conscious is torn in two as I argue with myself about whether to follow the sound or stay put. However, my feet make the decision for me as I clear the trees. Sunlight floods my vision and I briefly close my eyes, waiting for them to adjust. A low growl breaks the silence again as a voice rings out...  
 _"Are you watching, Sweet? Are you ready to watch your friend die because of you?"_  
My blood runs cold as Asher's voice fills my head. My eyes lock onto his dark figure in the middle of the field, a dark figure that is face to face with a familiar wolf.  
"Sam!" I call out.  
 _"He can't hear you, Sweet. Only I can hear you."_  
"Asher, please."  
 _"I tried to warn you, Sweet. I never wanted it to be this way, but you forced my hand. Now the people you care so much about are going to suffer because of it and_ he _...he will be the first."_  
A sharp snap fills the air, sending the birds in the trees flying as Asher breaks Sam's leg in two. A roar unlike any other comes from Sam and shakes the very ground beneath my feet. Rising to his full height, Sam charges as Asher only to be sent flying into a nearby tree. A stark revelation breaks through my thoughts as I realize that Asher is too strong for Sam.  
"Sam!"  
I run forward only to hit some kind of barrier that sends me flying back into the underbrush behind me. Stumbling back to my feet, I charge forward again. This time sent back even further than before. Fearing for Sam's life, I hit the barrier with everything I have as I watch Sam try to regain his footing. Asher hits Sam again and what sounds like ribs cracking fills the air. A whimper of pain escapes from Sam as he once again tries to get to his feet. Tears stream down my face as my bloody fist hits the barrier again and again.  
"No! No, please! Sam!"  
Sam tries to get up again but fails as his leg gives out from under him. I hit my knees, blood pours out of my hand as I hit the barrier again and again.  
 _"Would you like to hear his last thoughts, Sweet?"_  
"Please, please. Don't do this. Let him go, I'll come with you. I'll do anything, just please."  
Sam's thoughts ring out through the air as a renewed sense of vigour floods my system. Continuing to slam my fist into the barrier, I try to break it down.  
 _"Emily, I love you. I'm sorry I let you and everyone down."_  
I watch helplessly, sobs racking my body, my blood left on the barrier as Asher stands over Sam. Sam, still determined to keep fighting, struggles to get up one final time. Asher takes one last charge at him, his teeth sinking into Sam's neck as the smell of blood fills the air.  
"Sam!" I scream out.  
Asher turns to face me, his face covered in blood, his teeth gleaming in the sunlight. Blood drips down his chin as he takes a step towards me. I struggle to stand up as darkness once again surrounds me...

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey, everyone!**

 **So I am super sorry about not posting in forever, I promise that was not my intention. I just had a few scenes I really wanted to rewrite. Anyway, we are almost to the end of the story so don't forget to send in your questions for the Q &A. Happy reading or not so happy I guess because of what just happened. **

**-Jess**


	22. Chapter Twenty-One

{Chapter Twenty-One}

 _He watches as the wolves gather around their fallen leader. He revels in their agony, in her agony. Making her watch as he sank his teeth into her friend's neck and ripped the life from him gave him more satisfaction than he had thought possible. He had to show her that there was no one that could protect her from him. She had counted on her beloved pack leader protecting her, keeping her safe from him... he had shown her how fast he could rip it all away from him. He wasn't done yet. There were still others that she depended on. Others that would keep her from him, that were fighting against him. They would be next, like the pack and their leader, they too would fall._  
My eyes fly open as pure agony drives me to my knees. The desolation I feel is all consuming. There is nothing left but a void that envelopes me in a tsunami of pain and darkness. Sam. My friend, my leader... was gone. Where Sam's voice usually is there is nothing but silence. He's gone. Leaving behind an emptiness in my head unlike any other...  
The sound of glass shattering echoes throughout the room shocking both Jasper and Kai back to life. Carlisle's voice calls out to us and Kai kneels in front of me, his gaze soft.  
"Mia, Amore Mio. You must get up."  
I have no response. A part of me knows that I need to move, yet the pain keeps me in place like an anchor weighing down a ship. Kai gently takes my hand and pulls me up, leading me into the other room. The living room is covered in shards of glass from one of the large front windows. Lying in the centre of it all are Esme and Alice, both shocked but unharmed. An earth-shattering roar rocks the room as we turn to the empty space between us and the outside world. With teeth bared and haunches raised, Paul, Quil, Embry, Jacob, and Seth stand before us.  
"What is the meaning of this?" Carlisle asks, stepping outside.  
The wolves don't respond, only moving closer to the house.  
"Answer me!" Carlisle exclaims.  
Edward appears as if by magic, his hand on Carlisle's shoulder to stop him from moving any closer.  
"I came as soon as I heard their thoughts. Their leader, Sam, is dead and they claim you killed him. Your scent is all over the body. They are calling for your head," Edward says.  
Carlisle looks at Edward with wide eyes before turning to face the pack.  
"I assure you that I did not kill your leader. I have not left my home all afternoon."  
It is silent for a moment as Edward waits for a response.  
"They do not believe you."  
Carlisle holds up his hands, palms up.  
"I promise you that I have committed no crime against your pack or your leader. I hold our treaty in high regard and would do nothing to risk it."  
The wolves only growl in response and move closer. Kai gently touches my shoulder, his voice low.  
"Mia, you must tell them the truth. They will not listen to Carlisle for he is a vampire. They will listen to one of their own, tell them."  
"I can't... I can't tell them what I saw. What Asher did," I whisper.  
"You have to Amore Mio or else risk the lives of everyone here."  
Solemnly, I step to Carlisle's side. The wolves are still baring their teeth and I wince as I open my mind to theirs. A million thoughts come roaring at me at once and I hold out a hand to silence them, praying that they will listen to me.  
"Carlisle did not kill Sam. It was Asher. I don't know how he got it to look like Carlisle did, but I promise you it was not Carlisle."  
 _"Liar! You're covering for them,"_ Quil says.  
"I'm not lying. Kai, Jasper, and I saw everything. Asher made me watch as he... as he ripped out Sam's throat."  
 _"She's lying. She's one of them,"_ Embry says.  
I look at Embry, "I'm one of you."  
 _"Not if you stand with them. We know it was the bloodsucker's leader,"_ Paul says.  
I look over at Seth, "Please. I'm telling the truth. Carlisle did not do this."  
 _"We smelled him, Mia. His scent is all over Sam's body, not Asher's. He is responsible for killing our leader...your leader. Just get out of the way before you get hurt,"_ Seth says.  
I shake my head, "no. I can't do that."  
 _"Out of the way, Mia. Let us handle this our way,"_ Jacob says.  
"Your way is going to kill an innocent man."  
Paul lets out a frustrated growl _, "That thing is no man. He is a monster who should have been put down a long time ago. He will answer for his crime against the pack and against the reservation."_  
This time when I move it is to stand in front of Carlisle, solidifying my place on his side.  
"Please, it doesn't have to be this way. If you would just listen...

 _"I'm afraid it does, Wolfe,"_ Paul says.  
I silently look out at my brothers, my pack. To stand against them betrays every fiber of my being but I cannot let them hurt Carlisle. I won't. I look at Seth, my heart breaking.  
"I love you but if you fight them then you are against me."  
 _"Mia..."_  
I shake my head as Jasper, Esme, Alice, Kai, and Edward all step to my side in front of Carlisle.  
"Stand down or be put down," I say.  
 _"Mia, don't do this. Don't make me do this,"_ Seth pleads.  
"I'm not making you do anything. You made your choice now I am making mine. I'm choosing to protect my family which they are a part of as much as you are."  
Paul snaps his teeth, his patience finally wearing out, _"so be it. If you want to be at their side, then you will die at their side."_ _  
_With this final warning, Carlisle ushers us all back inside.  
"What do we do, Carlisle?" Esme asks.  
Carlisle is silent a moment before speaking, "as grateful as I am to you for stepping up, I will not put our family in danger. We have a plan in place for if something like this happens."  
"You want us to run?" Jasper asks.  
"I want you to live and see another day. This is a fight we cannot win, not because we do not have the numbers but because it would further damage what we have worked so hard to build here. I will not fight them and give them further reason to think me a monster nor will I give them the ammunition to think it of you," Carlisle says.  
"But, Carlisle..." Alice starts.  
He turns to face her, "I want you and Esme to head to the safehouse. Edward and Mia, I would like for you to go and collect Rosalie and Emmett. Please, let them know that it is not safe to return home and to meet us all at the safe house. Call Gabriel if you can, he was once their leader, perhaps he can help us. Jasper and I will try to lead the wolves away long enough for you all to leave safely."  
He turns to Kai and holds out his hand. Kai grips it in his own, his eyes locked onto Carlisle.  
"Kai, I cannot ask you to risk your life for my family. If you wish to leave, you may do so. However, you are free to join us at the safehouse if you wish."  
Kai shakes his head, "your family is my family, Mio Amico. I will protect them in any way I can."  
Carlisle nods, "thank you."  
"Carlisle, I think I should come with you," I say.  
He smiles at me and places a hand on my shoulder, "I know you do, but it is not your place to protect me. Jasper, Kai, and I will be fine. Go find Emmett and Rosalie, you say that you are protecting your family then help me protect the members that are not here."  
I nod, "okay."  
"Good. Now... prepare yourselves."  
Jasper, Kai, and Carlisle all take a step outside as we wait with bated breath. We cannot hear what is being said, but before we know it the wolves are giving chase deep into the forest. After a few minutes, Alice and Esme move followed by Edward and me.  
"Stay safe, you two. I do not plan on losing any of my children today," Esme says.  
"We will. We'll see you soon," Edward says.  
I toss him the keys to my car and we climb in. After Alice and Esme leave, we take off down the road like the devil himself is after us.


	23. Chapter Twenty-Two

{Chapter 22}

I growl in frustration as Gabriel's phone sends me to voicemail again.

"He's not answering. What if he already knows and is out there hunting Carlisle?" I ask.

Edward glances my way before focusing back on the road.

"Keep trying. We can't assume that he knows anything yet. Even if he does, he will be more willing to hear you out than the pack was."

I nod and try dialling Gabriel's number again as Edward has to swerve out of the way of the giant wolf that has burst from the tree line.

"Shit!" Edward says.

My phone hits the floor as Edward quickly puts the car in reverse.

"Mia, Edward, it's me," Gabriel says.

We heave a collective sigh of relief as Edward puts the car in park. Gabriel disappears back into the trees before coming back out in human form.

"What the hell happened? The Elders have called a war council," Gabriel says.

"That pack thinks that Carlisle killed Sam," Edward says.

Gabriel freezes his eyes wide as he looks over at me and I slowly nod. Gabriel's face displays a range of emotions before settling on disbelief.

"Sam is dead?" he asks the question slowly as he is not ready for the answer.

"Yes."

Gabriel is silent, he runs his hand through his hair.

"Was it Asher?" he asks.

His gaze is on me as flashbacks of Asher killing Sam start flashing before my eyes. I don't have to say anything as Gabriel pulls me into a hug.

"It's okay, Little Wolf. We'll fix this. We'll stop Asher."

He looks over at Edward, "where is Carlisle now?"

"Leading the pack away so that we can all get to safety. He's got Jasper and Kai with him. We're on our way to find Emmett and Rosalie," Edward says.

Gabriel pulls away from me, "get to your friends and get to safety. I'll handle the rest."

"What are you going to do?" I ask.

When Gabriel looks at me his steely grey eyes hold a fire I have never seen before, "whatever it takes to keep you safe."

He nods at us before taking off into the woods as Edward and I get back into the car. We continue our journey up the mountain until we pull up in front of a cabin. Emmett's jeep is parked out front, but he and Rosalie are nowhere to be seen.

"Are they here?" I ask.

Edward cocks his head like he's trying to focus on their thoughts. He nods in satisfaction once he hears them.

"Yes, but I don't think that our pack friends are far behind. We need to hurry if we're going to get out of here safely."

I nod, and we get out of the car and quickly head to the door. Edward knocks before opening the door.

"What is it with you guys and opening the door after you knock? It defeats the purpose of the knock if you are just going to open the door anyway," I say.

Edward looks over at me, "is now really a good time to get into this?"

"Good point. Emmett! Rosalie!"

They come from upstairs, Emmett slipping a shirt back on while Rosalie fixes her hair.

"We thought we heard your voices. What are you guys doing here?" Emmett asks.

While Edward explains what happened, I set my gaze on the window to keep watch. If the wolves are close, we won't have a whole lot of time to get out. Edward is still explaining how I saw Asher kill Sam when I see him. A light sandy coloured wolf is standing on the other side of the road, just beyond the trees. Seth."

 _"Mia?"_

I have to force myself to not let my thoughts reach out to him as they so crave to do.

 _"Mia, I know you're there. Please, talk to me."  
_  
I sigh and Edward looks at me as Emmett and Rosalie run upstairs to grab their gear. I know that he knows Seth is out there. His eyes ask all the questions I don't have the answer to, so I shrug in response.

 _"Mia, please."_

Biting my lip, I look out at the sandy coloured wolf before shaking my head and turning away from the window.

 _"You are my everything, Mia. Don't do this, don't choose them over us… over me. Just…just please, Mia. I'm begging you…just choose me. Please."_

Tears spring to my eyes as I hear the anguish in his voice. A strong longing to be with him burns through my bones. I never knew that it would take every fiber of my being to stay away from him. My heart feels like it is cracking into a million little pieces. I quickly wipe my eyes before turning towards Edward.

"Edward, we need to go. If Seth is here, then the others might not be far behind."

I turn back to the window to find that Seth is gone. Which means that he is probably on his way back to the pack.

"Alright, I think we're ready," Emmett says coming downstairs.

Rosalie follows him down the stairs, holding a duffel bag. I grab another bag that they tossed down the stairs as a growl fills the air. Edward quickly moves towards the window and peeks out of it.

"We need to go now," he says.

"Hold on, we got a few more bags," Rosalie says.

"We don't have time for this, Rose," Edward says.

"I'm not leaving…"

I cut them off, "just go. I'll grab the rest of the stuff."

"Mia, you can't just…" Edward starts.

"The wolves will be here any minute. They won't attack me, Seth won't let them."

Edward sighs before shaking his head and handing me the keys to my car.

"Okay, just be careful."

"I will. Now go."

Edward follows Rosalie out the door while Emmett pulls me into a hug.

"Be safe out there, Wolfe. I don't like leaving you out here with them, but I trust you."

"Thanks, Emmett. I'll see you soon."

"You better."

He runs to his jeep and jumps in before peeling out the driveway. After a few seconds, I start to gather the rest of Rosalie's stuff until I knock on the door makes me freeze. My breath catches in my throat as I go still. Keeping my steps light, I tiptoe my way to the door.

"Mia? It's me. Let me in, please."

My heart flutters in my chest at the sound of Seth's voice. He came back.

"Look, I know you're in there. I just want to talk, please."

His voice cracks at the last word and so does my resolve. I open the door and we stand there, taking each other in. The look in Seth's eyes is broken like his heart is slowly shattering into a billion pieces.

"Seth…"

He doesn't say anything. All he does is hit his knees, his hands grab my waist. He rests his head on my stomach, his eyes closed. I freeze, unsure of what to do as Seth's whole-body shakes. At first, I think he's angry and about to turn, but then the sound of crying reaches my ears and my heart breaks all over again.

"Seth…"

"I can't lose you, Mia. I can't. You're my everything."

"Seth…"

He jumps to his feet, his hands cupping my face.

"Do you hear me? You are my _everything_. I would do anything for you, be anything for you. I am begging you. Don't make me choose between you and them. Don't make me turn against my brothers for you because I'll do it, Mia. Even if it means leaving the pack and betraying my family, I'll do it."

I take Seth's hand off my face an internal war waging. Seth is willing to sacrifice everything for me…his pack, his family. As I look at him, all I feel is love which is doing what I am about to do is killing me inside.

"It's over, Seth."

He freezes, his eyes searching my face. Tears force their way down my face and his hand immediately goes to wipe them away, but I step out of his reach and shake my head.

"Go back to the pack. Back to your family because I…I don't want you anymore. It was never going to work out between us. I don't know why we were fooling ourselves into thinking that it would. I don't…I don't love you anymore."

"No, Mia. No, you can't…I know you're lying. I _know_ you love me, I know it. Please. I can't lose you. I love you too much to lose you… don't do this."

I shake my head before grabbing the rest of the bags, "I'm sorry."

"Mia, please."

"Goodbye, Seth," I cry.

My heart breaks with every step that I take away from him, but I don't turn back. I can't. I won't be responsible for Seth betraying the only family he has ever known. He may be strong enough to live with it but I'm not. I get in my car and drive off as the tears continue to stream down my face. By the time I meet up with Edward, Emmett, and Rosalie, heart-wrenching sobs are fighting their way past my lips. No one says anything as Rosalie gently helps me out of the driver's seat and into the back, her arms wrapped around me. It feels like my heart is in a billion pieces like the earth itself has shattered. Edward quietly speaks to Emmett who nods before climbing back into his jeep. Rosalie buckles me in as Edward slides into the driver's seat of my car. We head to the safehouse, my cries the only thing filling the silence.

 **Author's Note: Hey guy! So thanks so much for your patience. It is greatly appreciated. These last couple of chapters just haven't been sitting right with me so I had to go back and rewrite some scenes. We are about 2 chapters away from the end! I'm so excited and nervous for you guys to read the ending. Anyway, on another note, I am actually not going to tell you what I thought of this particular scene because the answer actually ties into a question that was sent for the QA at the end. Speaking of, don't forget to send in your questions, guys! Whether it be about the series as a whole. A particular scene, character, myself, whatever. Happy reading!- Jess**


	24. Chapter Twenty-Three

{Chapter 23}

My eyes are puffy and red by the time we reach the safehouse. Esme and Alice are both waiting outside, and Edward quietly tells them what happened. Esme immediately pulls me into a hug.  
"I'm so sorry, child. I know what you did was not easy."  
I nod and she leads us all inside.  
"Is everyone alright?" Alice asks.  
"Yeah. We cut it a little close at the end, but we all got out okay," Emmett says.  
"I'm glad. Jasper and Carlisle should be arriving with Kai shortly. Edward, I think it may be a good idea to check in with Bella. She does have ties to one of the werewolf boys, Esme says.  
Edward nods before heading upstairs to call Bella and make sure she's okay. Esme looks over at the rest of us as Alice pushes a cup of hot tea in my hand.  
"It's supposed to be good for a breakup," she says.  
I shoot her a small smile of thanks as Jasper and Kai come through the door.  
"Are you two okay?" Esme asks, worry etched into her features.  
"I'm fine. Just a couple of scrapes, nothing to be worried about," Jasper says.  
"Like my young friend said, just a few scrapes. Besides I've been in worse situations than this during the Spanish Civil War," Kai says.  
The worry on Esme's face clears and Kai smiles at her.  
"Where is Carlisle?" he asks.  
We all look at one another, the question burning in our eyes.  
"He's not with you?" I ask.  
Jasper shakes his head, "we lost him a few minutes after we took off. We figured he would lead some of the wolves away and circle back before coming here."  
We are all silent as our thoughts immediately jump to the worse conclusion... that the wolves had gotten Carlisle. However, Kai is quick to put an end to those thoughts.  
"I'm sure Carlisle is fine. He is a strong vampire, he is probably just making sure that none of the wolves are following him."  
Emmett clears his throat, "yeah. Kai is probably right. We all know Carlisle wanted to make sure we were safe."  
"Yeah," I say, glancing out the window.  
 _He_ _didn't have to wait long for the head vampire to separate himself from the others. He also didn't have to wait long for the vampire to lose the wolves that were following him. He had to give the bloodsucker some respect, it took a lot to outrun a pack of angry dogs. Too bad, he was outrunning the wrong dogs._ _  
"I assume you're Asher."  
He_ _laughs, dark and low all the while circling Carlisle. This is the first time he has seen the head bloodsucker up close._ _  
"And you're the famous Carlisle Cullen. I've heard a lot about you, bloodsucker. You have quite the following in the vampire circles. Everyone seems to know exactly who you are."  
"Yet no one knows who you are. The elusive werewolf-vampire hybrid, the first of your kind. It's safe to assume that it was you who killed the pack leader?"  
He_ _cocks his head to the side as if he's unsure whether or not to answer the bloodsucker's question. He walks another circle around Carlisle, studying him._ _  
"I did."  
"May I ask why? What do you stand to gain if my family and the wolves go to war?" Carlisle asks.  
He_ _shakes his head, allowing a small smile to break out as he answers the vampire's question._ _  
"It is not what I stand to gain, but rather what she stands to lose. It's time my little hybrid came home. Time for her to realize that she is exactly what I made her to be. What I allow her to be. You and that pack of mutts have tried to contain her. Conform_ _her to your ideals_ _, your... beliefs. You have tried to make her into one of you, treated her like one of you but she's not one of you. She's mine. She comes from the blood running through my veins, the thoughts playing in my head. It's only a matter of time before she stops fighting me and if this is what I must do to help her along, then so be it."_ _  
"Mia will never stop fighting you. She knows who she is, who she wants to be, "Carlisle says.  
He_ _clicks his tongue, his eyes blazing._ _  
"My dear lifeless friend, Mia...knows nothing."  
His_ _eyes blaze brighter as he shifts, each muscle enlarging and becoming more wolf-like as he lunges towards Carlisle._ _  
_

 **Author's Note:**

 **So, I know you are all probably freaking out right now and want to know what happens next, but you are going to have to wait a couple of days. I know I'm horrible, lol. On a side note though, one of my favourite shows just announced that it's ending after season 15 which has put me in a Netflix binge coma. Anyway, see you guys in a couple of days. Also, in two weeks I'll be in Atlanta on vacay, so I may not upload. Don't hate me! All the love-Jess**


	25. Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter {24}

Esme's scream of agony fills the air as she hits her knees.

"Carlisle?" Alice whispers.

We all stand still, frozen in shock and grief as we stare down at the head of our leader surrounded by the broken glass from the window. Pure, animalistic rage burns through my veins like a fire, white hot. Without thinking, I run to the door and crash through it into the outside world. Edward, Emmett, Jasper, and Kai are not far behind me as we head towards the growls that vibrate through the air. As I open my mind up, Seth immediately reaches out to me.

" _Mia..."_

 _"You killed him."_

 _"Mia, what are you talking about?"_

 _"He wanted nothing but peace between us and you slaughtered him like the wild animals you are."_

 _"Mia, we didn't..."_

We reach a clearing, the Cullen's and I on one side while the pack stands on the other side.

"I gave you a chance. I asked you to hear me out. To stand down or be put down. Instead, you killed an innocent man. A man who wanted nothing but to harbour peace once again between his people and yours. You want to go to war. Then let's go to war..."

 _His eyes flash as he takes in his old friend from across the room. It has been a long time since the two of them had faced each other like this._

 _"Gabriel, old friend. Enjoy the show?"_

 _"Enough, Asher. You've gone too far.. You have threatened my family and my pack for the last time. I should have put you down a long time ago. This ends now..."_

 _He laughs. For so long he had wondered when he would see the once great and powerful alpha Gabriel Wolfe in action. He remembers the raw power that Gabriel had, remembers watching his awe as he ripped a rogue vampire to pieces._

 _"You could join me, old friend. Take down the Elders, start a new pack, a better pack. You, me, and Mia. We would be unstoppable."_

 _"Never."_

 _He sighs, the sound deep and almost sorrowful. He steadies himself for the upcoming battle._

 _"So be it, old friend. So be it."_


	26. Epilouge

{Epilogue}

 **Volturi P.O.V.**

"The Lycan are waging war on our kind once again and this time there has been a major causality. We cannot pretend that there will not be many that will rush to the aid of the Cullen Clan to help them seek revenge for Carlisle's death, " Caius says.

"And we won't. However, we cannot forget the unique individual that is also at play," Aro says.  
"You mean the girl? The abomination that is part us, part Lycan? You cannot possibly be thinking of allowing this... this creature to live. She will be the downfall of us all," Caius says.  
"Or will she be the one to put the vampires in control again? Perhaps, it is time to pay a visit to the American vampires. What say you, Marcus?"  
Marcus waves his hand nonchalantly, "I care not. But I do hope you know what you are doing Aro."  
"Trust me. The time will come for us to step in and look like the heroes our kind reveres us to be. However, for now, let us simply go and observe. If anything it will be rather interesting to see what this girl is capable of. With the right coaxing we could get her to join our side and if no then we kill her. Agreed?" Aro says.  
"Agreed," Caius says.  
"Agreed," Marcus says.

"Then dear brothers I believe it is time for us to return to America," Aro says.

With a wave of his hand, two more vampires step out of the shadows and he instructs them to prepare for the journey.

"It is time for the vampires to rise once again."

 **Author's Note:**

 **And...that's a wrap! That's it, guys. The last part of Preyed, first I want to think you guys for all the love and support. You guys are the absolute best. Now, I know that you are all probably wondering what happens next and if there will be a third book...for the answer to that you will just have to wait for the Q &A! So...send in your questions. I'll probably post the Q&A sometime late next week as I'll be on vacation. Anyway, thanks so much for reading guys! All the love-Jess**


	27. Preyed: Q&A

**Author's Note: What's up, guys? So, I am back from Atlanta and I had so much fun! Anyway, I came back to an insane amount of questions from you guys and everyone else that has also read the story on other websites. Since I got so many questions though I wasn't able to do the same kind of thing I did for Hunted, it would just take too much time. However, I did answer all the questions that I received. I loved a lot of the questions I got and it was great to let you guys in on a little bit of the thought process behind Preyed and Hunted. Also, super big shoutout to MammaNita4, Austwigirl, KeenFox, and everyone else for being amazing supporters and leaving reviews. I do read all the reviews and they really help me to know where you guys are at and if I need to edit something because it didn't make sense or whatever. Anyway, thanks for everything and here's the Q &A...**

 **{Preyed Q &A}**

 **1\. Will there be a third story?**

Yes, I plan on writing a third.

 **2\. What is/was the outcome between Asher and Gabriel's last meeting? Did they fight? Who was defeated?**

They did fight. As for the outcome? If there is going to be a third, then I probably shouldn't talk about the results of the fight.

 **3\. How is the fight going to impact the war that was declared by Mia?**

It depends on the outcome of the fight. The story could go a million different directions depending on who wins.

 **4\. If Gabriel survived will he be in time to stop the war?**

Probably not, since it has kind of already started.

 **5\. If Asher defeats Gabriel, what will he do next? Kill the Elders? Kidnap Mia? Kill the Volturi?**

Honestly? I have no clue. I kind of write Asher's part as it comes, meaning that I don't plan Asher's part ahead of time. He's crazy so it's safe to assume that his next move is going to be crazy.

 **6\. Will Seth be able to convince Mia that the wolves did not kill Carlisle?**

That would be the dream.

 **7\. Will Mia be able to convince the wolves that Carlisle did not kill Sam?**

I don't know at this current point and time.

 **8\. Did Mia imprint on Seth? How will the war affect Mia and Seth's relationship?**

Yes. Maybe? Things are different for them since they're both wolves. I can say though that their relationship won't be the same after everything is said and done.

 **9\. Did you ever think about putting Mia with someone else or was Seth always the first choice?**

Seth was always the first choice for Mia, although I briefly thought about putting her with someone else. I'm not going to say who, but he is another member of the pack and I think you all know who I'm talking about.

 **10\. Will we see the other wolves imprint at some point?**

Maybe. I'm kind of blurry on the timeline of events so...maybe.

 **11\. Is there going to be a war? Or did someone else stop it?**

Unfortunately, there is definitely going to be a battle of some sort. Whether or not it will lead to war has yet to be decided.

 **12\. Who will survive? What is the outcome?**

I can't answer this. Telling you guys that would defeat the whole purpose of the next book.

 **13\. Who is Kai Marcano based off of?**

Two words. Jason Momoa. He is exactly what Kai looks like or rather Kai is what he looks like. Seriously, google him and then read the description of Kai, you'll see what I'm talking about.

 **14\. Why did you decide to make Kai Italian?**

It wasn't really a decision, it's just something that kind of happened. I was writing Kai's character description and he was suddenly Italian.

 **15\. How old is Kai?**

Around 500 years old, give or take a few years.

 **16\. When was Kai turned?**

The exact date of Kai's turning is unknown because records weren't be kept very well back then.

 **17\. Where did Carlisle and Emmett find Kai?**

If I had to guess...probably somewhere charming the pants off of some very lucky woman.

 **18\. What's the story behind Kai and Gabriel?**

I much as I wish I could tell you guys...I can't. I have been sworn to secrecy by Kai and Gabriel.

 **19\. What's the story behind Gabriel's nickname for Mia (Little Wolf)?**

There isn't really a story behind it. It's just a description of what she is or rather was since she's a hybrid now.

 **20\. What does Gabriel look like?**

Whatever you want him to look like as long as he's got the tattoo, grey eyes, and tousled hair.

 **21\. Will there ever be a story about Gabriel?**

I have actually started working on a story for Gabriel. Whether or not it gets posted is a whole other question.

 **22\. What are Mia's parents' full name?**

Gabriel Alexander Wolfe, Lily Rae Carter, Lily Rae Wolfe (Married), and Hunter Michael Wolfe.

 **23\. What's Mia's full name?**

Mia Grace Wolfe.

 **24\. How old is Mia?**

16-17 years old.

 **25\. Why is Hunter such a douche?**

There are so many reasons as to why Hunter is a douche, too many to count.

 **26\. What favour did Hunter do for the mob?**

If I tell you I would have to kill you.

 **27\. Why did Hunter give up his rights so easily, when it seemed like he was going to fight?**

For story convenience. I needed him gone and it was the easiest way to do it other than kill him. Which I might add I gave serious thought to...serious thought.

 **28\. In the original work, you introduced Mia's grandfather, where is he now?**

I don't know. I kind of forgot about him, kudos for remembering him. Let's say that he's either dead, passed out drunk or in a cage with Lucifer...you know as one is when they try to take on the Winchesters.

 **29\. Will Gabriel ever find love/imprint again?**

Maybe. I don't think imprinting works like that but who knows?

 **30\. Does Mia's mom still love Gabriel?**

Yes. There is always going to be a special place in her heart for Gabriel. He was her first love and the father of her child. They have a bond, whether or not she wants to admit it.

 **31\. Will we ever meet Mia's mom?**

Probably not.

 **32\. Is Hunter really sleeping with his secretary?**

Do you mean douchbag Hunter? Oh yeah, he is totally screwing his secretary.

 **33\. Will Mia ever go back to New York?**

During the series? No, there's not really a whole lot left for her in New York.

 **34\. How is Emily doing after Sam's death?**

She doesn't know he's dead yet.

 **35\. What's going to happen to Emily now that Sam is dead?**

The pack will look after her, always.

 **36\. Who is the alpha of the pack now that Sam is dead?**

Right now? Paul is acting alpha.

 **37\. Is the treaty between the wolves and Cullens still active?**

Haha, are you kidding? That treaty was shredded and the pieces lit on fire.

 **38\. Why isn't Gabriel alpha anymore?**

It's super complicated. There is a reason though, it's just complicated.

 **39\. What kind of motorcycle does Gabriel drive?**

Interesting question and I actually have an answer which is probably something you weren't expecting. Gabriel's bike is a custom made Harley Davidson Heritage Classic.

 **40\. What kind of car does Seth drive?**

Seth's drives a black Ford Mustang GT Fastback.

 **41\. What kind of car does Mia drive?**

Mia drives a black Aston Martin DBS Superleggera.

 **42\. You mention that Gabriel disappeared for a while before Mia came to La Push in Hunted, where did he go?**

A better question would be where didn't he go? The man went everywhere.

 **43\. Where are the other members that made up Gabriel's pack?**

Great question. Too bad I don't have the answer.

 **44\. Does Rose know that Mia is a hybrid? Does she know about Asher?**

Rose knows about Mia, however, she does not know a whole lot about Asher. Gabriel and Mia don't want to put Rose back in the hospital so they thought it best to leave some details out.

 **45\. Where is Bella?**

I don't know. At home or something. I'm not too fond of Bella so...

 **46\. In the original One and Only, Mia has a best friend named Amara. What happened to her?**

I think I addressed this once before but I'll answer it again. Amara was taken out of the story because I didn't think she served a purpose other than being Mia's best friend.

 **47\. Will there be any new characters introduced in the third book?**

Yep. Lots.

 **48\. Would you ever collaborate with another author/writer?**

I would love too! My inbox is always open!

 **49\. Did you know you were going to kill Sam and Carlisle when you first started writing Preyed?**

Honestly? I knew someone from the pack was going to die, I planned on that much. I wasn't sure who it was going to be though. As for Carlisle...his death was a last minute edit.

 **50\. What made you take the story a different route than the original One and Only and the sequel One and Only: Two of a Kind?**

I reread the other versions and didn't particularly like them.

 **51\. Can we expect more people to die in the next one because of the war?**

Don't know. Maybe?

 **52\. Who's your favourite character?**

Gabriel...or Kai. I really like Kai.

 **53\. What scene was the hardest to write?**

Carlisle's death. I really like Carlisle so it hurt to kill him off.

 **54\. Which character is the hardest to write?**

100% Asher.

 **55\. What is Asher's origin story?**

Asher's origin story is very long and dark and I cannot go into right now.

 **56\. What are Asher's abilities?**

Asher has many abilities, all of them mind based.

 **57\. Will Mia have the same abilities?**

Nope, Mia will have her own set of abilities unique to her.

 **58\. Did you make any changes to the original Twilight characters?**

Yep. There are some personality changes for some of the characters to make them nicer or more sociable.

 **59\. Who's your favourite actor?**

Leonardo Dicaprio and Lin Manuel Miranda. However, I hold a very special place in my heart for Gene Kelley. Oh, and Chris Evans. I love Chris Evans.

 **60\. Favourite superhero?**

Captain American

 **61\. How long does it take you to write a story?**

The revamp took me 5 years. The sequel? A month tops.

 **62\. Will you ever write another fanfiction? Something that is not based in/on Twilight?**

I've never thought about it. I guess I could.

 **63\. Who's your favourite pack member?**

Paul. I mean isn't he everyone's favourite.

 **64\. Who's your favourite Cullen?**

Emmett or Carlisle.

 **65\. What's your favourite movie?**

Catch Me if You Can starring Tom Hanks and Leonardo DiCaprio. Give it a watch.

 **66\. Who inspires you the most?**

Right now? Michelle Obama, she's a boss.

 **67\. Are you working on anything else?**

Not at the moment.

 **68\. What's your favourite t.v. show?**

Game of Thrones although I just finished binging that show You on Netflix. That mess is crazy.

 **69\. If you could go back in time to any time period what period would it be and why?**

The 20s so I could be a flapper.

 **70\. Who's your favourite author?**

Sarah Dessen, I've read almost everything she's written.

 **71\. What's your dream vacation?**

Backpacking across Europe.

 **72\. What do you do in your free time?**

When I have free time, reading and writing with the occasional Netflix binge.

 **73\. Batman or Superman?**

Batman.

 **74\. Do your brothers write anything?**

They do. My brother actually wrote all the creepy Asher scenes in Hunted.

 **75\. What happened to the Percy Jackson fanfiction that was on your page?**

First, I am astonished that you remember this. Second, time happened. No one had time to work on it.

 **76\. Favourite song?**

It changes from day to day. Today, it's Tequila by Dan+Shay.

 **77\. Favourite singer?**

Of all time? Frank Sinatra. Currently? I would have to with Shawn Mendes or G-Eazy, I've been listening to a lot of them as of late.

 **78\. When can we expect the third book?**

I honestly don't know. I don't ever put a deadline on things because it adds unwanted/unneeded pressure.

 **79\. The maturity level in the revamp and sequel went up from the original works. What made you do that?**

I grew the fuck up. Just kidding. But really, I grew up and so did my writing.

 **80\. Where did the idea of Hunted/Preyed come from?**

From an alternate ending assignment for school which morphed into its own little thing.

 **81\. What is your writing process like?**

Crazy. Way to complicated to explain.

 **82\. What did you edit out of Preyed or Hunted?**

There are a couple of scenes with Asher that I thought was just a bit too dark, so they didn't make the final cut.

 **83\. How did you pick the names for your characters?**

Mia is my go-to girl name along with Carly. Gabriel is my future child's name should I ever have one and Hunter I pulled out of the air. Rose's name I just thought of on the fly, Asher's name came from a book I love, and Kai came from a Jason Momoa movie.

 **84\. What is the most surprising thing you learned when writing Hunted and Preyed?**

How much research goes into writing.

 **85\. Any advice for new writers?**

Don't be afraid to take criticism from others.

 **86\. Do you ever edit other people's work?**

Occasionally.

 **87\. What's your favourite thing about writing?**

Being able to create my own little world and then watching people fall in love with it too.

 **88\. What's one thing you wish the younger writer you knew back then that you know now?**

Good question. Um…to never be afraid to delete something. Deleting is part of the process and in the end, you usually come out with a better story.

 **Author's Note: And that is it for the Q &A, let me know if I didn't address a question that you really wanted to know the answer too. Also, I'm curious as to what you guys think Asher's origin story is and who you would pair Mia with. Let me know what you guys think! All the love-Jess**


	28. Announcement!

**Hey guys!**

 **So I have an announcement to make, well really it's several announcements. So...here it goes! The first announcement is that I have officially started working on the third book for the Hunted series and its title is...Ravaged. Sinister, right? I am so excited to start this journey with you guys and I can't wait for you guys to be able to read it. With that being said, the second announcement is that I need some help...**

 **By help, I mean that I need someone or someones to help me with editing and just to generally bounce the story ideas off of. As most of us know, it is not easy writing a story of any kind. I know that fanfiction has betas and all, but since I want to get started on Ravaged right away, I kind of need someone who has already read the first two in the series. What this means is that you will be apart of my inner circle. You'll get the first looks at Ravaged as you will be helping me edit, you'll get to voice some ideas you might have had for the story, possibly create a character, and you'll be in contact with me throughout the entire thing, all kinds of good stuff. With this help, the hope is that I will be able to get the story up faster as most of my time goes to editing which slows the uploading process and yada, yada, yada. The hope is also that I'll have someone who is completely honest with me and is not afraid to say, hey this kind of doesn't make sense, or it sucks, or you need to explain this more, whatever you think is what I want to know. So...how do you become a beta/editor/trusted council member? Simply answer these questions in your response...**

 **1\. Name?**

 **2\. How much time can you dedicate to editing/helping? (This will help set up a kind of schedule)**

 **3\. When the best time that works for you to edit/help?**

 **4\. What are your strengths? (This is important so I know exactly what I can count on your for; like if you're good at grammatical errors and such)**

 **5\. Best way to contact you?**

 **That's it! That's all I need to know. Answer those questions and we'll be all set. So...if you're interested either leave a review with your answers, PM me, or email my google: jrice07201996, or contact me any way you know how.**

 **Thanks so much guys for all the love and support and I hope to hear from some of you soon!**

 **All the love,  
Jess**


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